Raffault, Domaine Olga

  • Chinon, Loire, France
Domaine Olga Raffault

Thank you to importer Louis/Dressner for this estate profile: 

(Click here for more on Raffault on LDM's website or here for the winery's website)

Since Olga's death, Domaine Olga Raffault is currently run by her granddaughter Sylvie and her husband Eric de la Vigerie.

The estate has terrific plots of land in the Savigny-en-Véron district, right by the Vienne riverbanks. 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. It 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".

Image Producer PRODUCT Description Country / Region

DB0456-18
Organic
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon Blanc "Champ-Chenin"
2018
Chenin Blanc
100% Chenin Blanc. There is a scant amount of Chenin Blanc grown in Chinon compared to Cabernet Franc. Some of the oldest vines are in...
France

DB8976-21
Organic
JG:92
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon Rosé
2021
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. Raffault uses 50% certified-organic estate fruit (from sandy, gravelly, flat parcels along the Vienne) and sources the...
France

DB5912-21
Organic
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon
2021
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. 2017 was the first vintage of this entry-level Chinon bottling. It is a combination of estate fruit and purchased...
France

DB0605-19
Organic
JG:91
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon "Les Barnabés"
2019
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles, still in the Véron region...
France

DB0605-20
Organic
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon "Les Barnabés"
2020
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles, still in the Véron region...
France

DB2973-18
Organic
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon Les Peuilles
2018
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. Like the more renowned Les Picasses, Les Peuilles is a lieu-dit close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron,...
France

DB8974-16
Organic
JG:94 V:93
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon Les Picasses
2016
Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on the north bank of the...
France

DB3798-14
Organic
JG:93 WA:92+
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon "La Singulière"
2014
Cabernet Franc
100%  Cabernet Franc. "La Singulière" comes from a single Picasses parcel named Vaux, with 40-year-old vines that are certified organic and...
France

DB3947-20
Organic
Raffault, Domaine Olga Chinon Blanc "Chenin des Picasses"
2020
Chenin Blanc
100% Chenin Blanc. Raffault planted Chenin under ten years ago on the special clay-limestone terroir of the Les Picasses hills and has...
France