There are 5 hectares of vines at Domaine de Ratapoil, a name that reminds us of Raphaël Monnier's playful vision of himself as an amateur wine maker, though it was in 2009 that he launched his venture. Over the years, parcels across 8 communes have been planted with old grape varieties – not yet featured in the appellation criteria – such as Trousseau, Poulsard, Gamay, Gueuche, Petit Beclan, Poulsard Blanc, and Mézy. Raphaël's passion for history clearly hasn't left him. He has converted the domain to organic growing, putting the vines at the heart of his work, guaranteeing a living soil and healthy, balanced plant life. He produces quite a large range, including appellation wines, vins de France and the famous ‘Avis de tempête' cuvées that demonstrate the innovative spirit of this wine maker: in 2017, a year that saw catastrophic weather conditions, he launched a négoce project, taking to the road in his refrigerated van to collect grapes that he vinifies under the name of ‘Avis de tempête', to the great relief of his loyal clients.

Upon opening this bottle, you’ll discover a subtle, delicious nose of red fruits such as raspberry and cherry. The supple palate is light, lifted by the freshness of crunchy fruit. Produced in the Molamboz municipality, this wine offers a real explosion of the senses. The vines are around 30 years old and grown on clay-limestone soils. Harvests are done by hand, after which the grapes are destemmed. After macerating for 15 days, the cuvée is raised for one year in stainless-steel vats without chaptalisation. Sulphur is only used when absolutely necessary, in tiny amounts. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. We recommend you enjoy this wine when young, although it will age well if stored properly in a wine cellar. Why not serve this bottle with a delicious poultry liver terrine?