Half-Bottle of Chinon "Les Picasses," Olga Raffault - 2018

Name: Chinon "Les Picasses," Olga Raffault
Brand: Olga Raffault
SKU: 27622
Price: 15.19 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 27622 375 mL

Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on the north bank of the Vienne River. It is a slope with full southern exposure and chalky clay-limestone soils, the combination resulting in fully ripened, structured wine that has time to age nicely in bottle.

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Color

Red

Vintage

2018

Country

France

Region

Loire

Sub-Region

Touraine

Appellation/Village

Chinon

Producer

Olga Raffault

Grape Variety

Cabernet Franc

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Staff Pick Notes

A shimmering example of Chinon here. Olga Raffault's wines are designed to age, but you'd be forgiven for opening this half bottle right now. It's drinking wonderfully at this point. There's a buoyant quality to the weight. It has a little gravitas but is not heavy in any way. Aromas are firmly in tart red fruit territory: raspberries, strawberries, currants. On the palate, those fruits open up beautifully in combination with dried herbs and cool gravel. None of Cabernet Franc's dreaded vegetal notes are here. Just bright, silky fruit. Acidity is spot on for a cool climate red. A must for Loire fans.

- TD

Glossary

Loire

There’s a lot to remember when it comes to the Loire. Novices, take note: Cabernet Franc is a great alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscadet is unparalleled as a companion to shellfish, and Cour Cheverny is the best white wine appellation you’ve never heard of. As diverse as Loire wines are, one day soon you'll know your Melon de Bourgogne from your Romorantin.

Cabernet Franc

Relegated to moderate obscurity in modern times, Cabernet Franc is in fact the proud parent of the attention-hogging Cabernet Sauvignon (after an illicit affair with Sauvignon Blanc a hundred-odd years ago). Cabernet Franc has remained close to its roots in France, enjoying small pockets of popularity primarily in the Loire Valley (specifically in Chinon), where it is often bottled as a varietal wine, and in Bordeaux where it is still used in moderate percentages in the typical blends. In fact,...