Didier Meuzard Ratafia de Bourgogne NV

Master Distiller Didier Meuzard's goal was to change the perception of Ratafia from rustic to elegant, harsh to gentle. Working with some top growers in the Cote de Nuits, Didier takes freshly harvested Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes and puts them in tank, exactly as if he were going to make a red wine. The trick is to prevent the juice from beginning to ferment! As soon as Didier tastes fermentation on the horizon, he presses off the juice from the skins and then cuts it with a third of his own one-year-old fine. The spirit kills the yeast and the ratafia is born! Didier puts it in old enameled tanks for several months, constantly tasting. When all is harmonious, he bottles his tank, by hand, one bottle at a time. The result is aromas of earth, red Burgundy, and fresh fruit, with only the slightest hint of the fine, which stays in the background and lets the fruit do the talking. The palate is soft and velvety, and the sweetness is tamed and enhanced by the fine, with all coming together seamlessly. You can drink it with dessert, certainly, but you can also do as Didier suggests and just drink it on its own. Didier does recommend drinking it at cellar temperature, with just the slightest chill. There’s no need to finish the bottle with any great haste. It will keep several months once opened, much like a great port.