Châteaumeillant
Grower Profiles
Domaine
des Tanneries
Henri
Raffinat looks every bit the seventy-five year old farmer that he is,
thick set, flat cap and a nose as red as his Châteaumeillant rouge.
Together with his father, he started bottling their wine at the
domaine in 1965 at a time when most growers were defecting to the newly
formed co-operative. He represents the third generation to grow vines here
and when he finally retires, his two sons, Jean-Luc and Eric will succeed
him. Until then, he remains a tireless campaigner for the region and its
wines. In addition to vines, the Raffinats also farm a large herd of
Charolais which Henri is proud to show off post tasting.
Wine Overview:
The family
work 10.5 hectares of vines, all of which are centred on the gentle slopes
on the towns south flank, with one parcel distinguished as a continuous
six hectare plot. For a mature vigneron,
and someone who one would expect to uphold long standing tradition, Henri
holds very contemporary views about the appellation, and whilst Gamay is
seen as the staple variety, he is a great supporter of Pinot Noir,
believing it is the variety for the appellation's future. He has put his
money where his mouth is, and has re-planted the entire domaine
since 1991, and Pinot Noir now accounts for a total of six hectares. The
balance is planted to Gamay, with a token half hectare of Sauvignon Blanc,
of which the first vintage in 2008 is to be bottled as Vin de Pays du
The wines themselves are made in a fairly crude shed at the back of the
house and next to the open barn that accommodates the Charolais in winter.
There is a wide selection of concrete, fibre glass and steel tanks for
ageing.
The Wines:
The nature of the wines here means that they are designed for
consumption within a year or so of the vintage, so individual notes are
not offered.
The gris is generally a blend of
70% Pinot Noir and 30% Gamay and is made in quite a heavy style in relation to
what might be expected from the appellation. The red is centred on 80%
Pinot Noir. In 2008, the vineyards were badly hit by hail in August and
all of the Gamay was vinified as Gris, leaving only Pinot Noir as red
wine. Despite the difficult conditions, the quality of the 2008s in tank
showed great promise.
Henri Raffinat
Domaine des Tanneries
12 Rue des Tannerie
Châteaumeillant
T: + 33 2 48 61 35 16
F: + 33 2 48 61 44 27