Olga Raffault, Chinon, Les Picasses, 2007, 750 ml

COUNTRY: France

REGION: Loire Valley

VARIETY: Cabernet Franc

VINTAGE: 2007

FARMING: Organic

TERROIR: 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. It is a slope with full southern exposure and chalky clay-limestone soils. 

WINEMAKING: Destemmed, 30 day maceration, fermented in stainless steel. Aged a minimum of two years in 30 to 50hl foudres then bottle aged until deemed ready for release (often a minimum of four years). Three grams of S02 are added per hectoliter on the harvest and with an addition of one to three grams at bottling.

The Raffault family owns a considerable amount of the lieu dit, around 50% of its 20+ hectares. While other producers bottle as Les Picasses, the 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.