2010RaffaultChinon2010 Olga Raffault, Chinon “Les Picasses” Loire Valley, France.
This old school and beautifully crafted Cabernet Franc is a classic example of varietal and terroir with wonderful texture, vigor and depth. The Olga Raffault wines are exceptional values, especially this Les Picasses Chinon that gives tremendous rustic charm, character and pleasure for a remarkable price, and I also really enjoyed the 2014 Chinon Rose as well, these are world class offerings. Interesting and intriguing to note, Raffault also offers older vintage wines from the cellar, recently they releases wines from the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s, all of which have thrilled those lucky few that snapped them up, I tasted an ’89 that blew me away and I also just sampled the 2006 that is still available with very positive results, these wines drink great young, but age fantastically well and at this price you should consider putting a few bottles away. The 2010 Olga Raffault Les Picasses Chinon Cabernet Franc is a dark garnet hued wine in glass with a complex nose of violets, chalk dust, leather and spice leading to a delicately layered palate of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry and plum fruits emerge with green pepper, black olive, earth, mineral and animal in the background along with minty herbs, anise and cedar. As the wine unwinds a fuller sense of mouth feel comes through and the lightly grainy tannins smooth out and a nice tangy currant aftertaste lingers along with lifting acidity. This is a lovely and focused Cabernet Franc that carries it’s sense of terroir with pride, these are pure and gorgeous wine of style and class, drink the 2010 from 2015 to 2025.
($24 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

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