Horehound, licorice, brown spices, and purple plum on the nose of the Raphet 2008 Morey-St.-Denis lead to a tart fruit skin-edged though at the same time subtly caramelized fruit palate, with some abrasiveness of tannin reinforcing its sense of brown spice pungency in a modest finish. Subtle suggestions of beef bouillon add interesting depth to this very village-typical Pinot that should be enjoyed over the next several years. Gerard Raphet's 2008s finished malo by the end of the following January, which is amazingly early for this vintage, and not necessarily advantageous. (He suspects the environment of his new facility has something to do with that rapidity.) He bottled them last January. As a group these wines are not particularly dark or youthful in color, nor do they for the most part exhibit the sort of brightness that I associate with their vintage. That said, they are generous and charming, often with attractively-integrated hints of caramelization. Yields were way down in both 2007 and 2008, notes Raphet, though one can hardly attribute any special degree of vinous concentration to this fact. In common with me, Raphet finds his 2007s - which to my surprise held their own vis-a-vis 2008 - ideal for drinking young.Peter Vezan Selections (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93

While the Raphet Chambolle – from the lieu dit Bussieres – is nearly always their most interesting and successful village-level wine, such was not the case this year, where that honor goes to a 2006 Morey-St.-Denis. Light but healthy in color, it focuses on tart plum and cherry fruit along with a saline, broth-like meatiness. A cassis leaf-like hint of reduction wafts across the nose but subsides with aeration. Quite polished in feel – where some of the wines in this collection evinced considerable tannic roughness – and brightly refreshing, saline and pungently white peppery, it will have you licking your lips even if not at all thought-provoking. I would plan to enjoy it by 2011. The Raphet wines have always been marked by a wide divergence of quality and a reflection of conditions very much as nature presented them. The results in 2006 are relatively lightweight, with for the most part only bottlings from the characteristically top sites and vines of the domaine really asserting strong personalities (and a presumably hail-tainted and rather 1983-like village Gevrey being less than recommendable). Gerard Raphet says he picked consciously on the early side, and then quickly, boosting the alcohol levels on most wines slightly from their potentials in the low 12s. (For further information about Raphet and his sites, readers are urged to consult my report in issue 171.) Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93