{"title":"Herve Rafflin","description":"\u003cp\u003eChampagne Hervé Rafflin is a tiny estate, even by the standards of the many small-fry growers you find scattered around the region. With only 400-1,000 cases of wine, depending on what the vintage offers them, they’ve remained under the radar of the cognoscenti and only found a US importer this year. They don’t have a tasting room, a website, a sales force or a marketing team. What they do have is Champagne so suave it's almost glubbable, but serious enough to make you stop and contemplate your second sip. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Rafflins also have time. They've been caring for their plots of vines since 1840. Herve took over in 2001, adding his 20 years of experience to their nearly two centuries of generational understanding of their land — land they know, love, and cherish. It shows in the precision and delicate expression of their chalky terroir in the glass. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt helps that their terroir is excellent. Their premier cru parcels in villages of Ludes (of Bereche fame), Rilly-la-Montagne (home of Vilmart) and Chigny-les-Roses all face north. This equals excellent cut, and a linear, laser beam focus, reminiscent of the wines from Verzenay just one village over and a real boon in the climate change era. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThough this is Pinot Noir country — some of the world's best Pinot vineyards are here, in the villages of Verzenay and Verzy — but the Rafflin's holdings are mostly Pinot Meunier and just a bit of PN. It's a testament to the inherent quality of the Pinot Noir from these north facing slopes that this, his top, vintage wine, where most of it ends up. Pinot Noir accounts for the exceptional power and earthy, mineral density of the finished Champagne. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKeeping holdings small allows the entire production process from vine to glass to remain artisanal and hands on. Farming is in conversion to organic, vin clair is allowed to rest before secondary fermentation and disgorging only happens when the wines are ready to drink.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/sf.flatiron-wines.com\/collections\/herve-rafflin.oembed","provider":"Flatiron SF","version":"1.0","type":"link"}