2020 Olga Raffault Chinon “Les Picasses”, Loire Valley, France
ABOUT THIS WINE
Les Picasses is the most famous lieu-dit in Chinon, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on the north bank of the Vienne River. The Raffault family owns a considerable amount of the lieu-dit, around 50% of its 20+ hectares. While other producers bottle as Les Picasses, Raffault's is viewed of the benchmark expression of this famous terroir. A big reason of that is the family's patience in releasing the wines when they deem them ready to drink: on average six to seven years after it was harvested.
The vines from Olga Raffault are over 50 years old, planted on a steep, south-facing slope with alluvial clay and a chalky limestone base. Grapes are entirely hand-harvested to ensure optimal ripeness and quality. The juice undergoes fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve bright primary fruit characteristics. Then, the wine is aged for two to three years in a combination of large, neutral oak casks and traditional chestnut foudres.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Olga Raffault never actually made wine—she was just the unforgettable owner for many years. Now her granddaughter Sylvie and Sylvie's husband Eric run the 24-hectare estate in the Véron, between the Loire and Vienne rivers, where five generations of Raffaults have worked. 23 hectares of Chinon from Cabernet Franc, just converted to organic, picked by hand, fermented native. The flagship Les Picasses from south-facing slopes speaks in a voice that's elegant and utterly Loire.
The "Les Picasses" vineyard stands out from the rest: old vines of 50-ish years on a fairly steep slope from the riverbank that is alluvial clay with a chalk limestone base. The fruit is particularly expressive of cassis and dark cherries with a terrific mineral content and good acidity for structure.
The winemaking is most traditional. The grapes are, of course, handpicked and fermented in stainless-steel. The wines are then aged in larger, neutral oak and sometimes chestnut - a traditional wood barrel in the region. The "Picasses" spends two to three years in oak, to reduce the wine and soften the tannins, and is usually released about four years after the vintage
Raffault’s "Les Picasses" often has a light garnet color belying the depth of fruit flavor and complexity. Its style is rustic, quite earthy, with hints of orange zest and deep, dark cherry flavor. The tannins are soft, but present, and the mineral complexity in the finish is superb. Over the years, it has gained cult status as one of the benchmark expressions of Chinon's terroir.
The estate makes two more cuvées of red, "Les Barnabés" and "Les Peuilles", as well as limited Chinon Blanc called "Champ-Chenin".
Original: $39.99
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Description
ABOUT THIS WINE
Les Picasses is the most famous lieu-dit in Chinon, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on the north bank of the Vienne River. The Raffault family owns a considerable amount of the lieu-dit, around 50% of its 20+ hectares. While other producers bottle as Les Picasses, Raffault's is viewed of the benchmark expression of this famous terroir. A big reason of that is the family's patience in releasing the wines when they deem them ready to drink: on average six to seven years after it was harvested.
The vines from Olga Raffault are over 50 years old, planted on a steep, south-facing slope with alluvial clay and a chalky limestone base. Grapes are entirely hand-harvested to ensure optimal ripeness and quality. The juice undergoes fermentation in stainless steel tanks to preserve bright primary fruit characteristics. Then, the wine is aged for two to three years in a combination of large, neutral oak casks and traditional chestnut foudres.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Olga Raffault never actually made wine—she was just the unforgettable owner for many years. Now her granddaughter Sylvie and Sylvie's husband Eric run the 24-hectare estate in the Véron, between the Loire and Vienne rivers, where five generations of Raffaults have worked. 23 hectares of Chinon from Cabernet Franc, just converted to organic, picked by hand, fermented native. The flagship Les Picasses from south-facing slopes speaks in a voice that's elegant and utterly Loire.
The "Les Picasses" vineyard stands out from the rest: old vines of 50-ish years on a fairly steep slope from the riverbank that is alluvial clay with a chalk limestone base. The fruit is particularly expressive of cassis and dark cherries with a terrific mineral content and good acidity for structure.
The winemaking is most traditional. The grapes are, of course, handpicked and fermented in stainless-steel. The wines are then aged in larger, neutral oak and sometimes chestnut - a traditional wood barrel in the region. The "Picasses" spends two to three years in oak, to reduce the wine and soften the tannins, and is usually released about four years after the vintage
Raffault’s "Les Picasses" often has a light garnet color belying the depth of fruit flavor and complexity. Its style is rustic, quite earthy, with hints of orange zest and deep, dark cherry flavor. The tannins are soft, but present, and the mineral complexity in the finish is superb. Over the years, it has gained cult status as one of the benchmark expressions of Chinon's terroir.
The estate makes two more cuvées of red, "Les Barnabés" and "Les Peuilles", as well as limited Chinon Blanc called "Champ-Chenin".
