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.

The Agrape cuvée is made up of 100% Savagnin, the Jura’s landmark grape variety. Raphaël Monnier chose to use vines from ‘Les Corvées’ for this AOC Arbois. Around 25 years old, the soil in which the vines grow is made up of grey marl. This former History teacher chose to get his 5 hectares of vines certified by Ecocert as an officially organic domain. This means there are no chemicals or pesticides used in the vineyard. The grapes are harvested by hand and the grapes are pressed directly upon entering the winery. What follows is an 18-month maturation on lees in oak barrels. The wines aren’t fined or filtered. Sulphur is only used when strictly necessary and only in minimal quantities. This wine reveals a lovely minerality alongside notes of nuts and flowers. We recommend opening it now, although it can be aged for up to ten years. Why not serve it with a dish like mushroom-stuffed guinea fowl?