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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 dark fruits of cassis and dark cherries with a terrific mineral content and good acidity for structure. The winemaking is most traditional at this estate. 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 barrel wood 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 4 years after the vintage. 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.
- Country: France
- Region: Loire Valley
- Subregion: Chinon
The estate has terrific plots of land in the Savigny-en-Véron district cradled between the Loire and the Vienne Rivers. Olga Raffault dedicated her life to the landscape she loved so much, yet how could she ensure the legacy of these reflexes with the utmost passion and quality without the physical strength of men? Her husband, Peter Raffault, decicated himself alongside her to grow their Domaine until his death in 1947, a vintage expected to be the best of the century. Olga, then a mother of two young children, aware of her duty, managed to complete this exceptional vintage with the help of Ernest Zenninger, a German prisoner to serve the holding from the end of the war.
A deep friendship was forged between Zenninger and his protectors, the Raffaults, from which he discovered his life’s true devotion: vine and wine. Olga’s son, Jean Raffault, remembers the warm partnership with Ernest, who lived out his days as Vigneron at Domaine Olga Raffault combining tradition and modernity with the precious help of his wife Irma Raffault. Olga Raffault died a few years ago, but the estate continues to thrive and flourish with the next generation - Olga’ s granddaughter Sylvie and her husband, Eric de la Vigerie, who is now the winemaker.
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