Beaune 1er Cru "Clos du Roi" 2012, Domaine Rapet

Tasted at the domaine in late May, this Beaune kicks off with a carroty nose. Then there is good ripe berry fruit on the palate, hefty tannins bring into question the balance. Really not sure about the wine-making on this. Overall I would say that the tasting at Domaine Rapet was underwhelming. Despite the impressive roster of appellations -- both white and red -- the quality of the wines was variable and they all seemed to err on the side of austerity. This style may be popular with George Osborne but probably less so with people who like to live life to the full such as Dominique Strauss-Kahn who likes to get his gnashers into some fleshy Bâtard-Montrachet. Scores 13-16/30 for a Beaune 1er Cru.