Domaine Olga Raffault ‘Champ-Chenin’ Chinon Blanc 2019

Location: France, Loire, Chinon

Winemaker: Sylvie Raffault & Eric de la Vigerie

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

Soil: Clay, limestone

Winemaking: Slow, whole-cluster direct press. Fermented with native yeasts and aged on the lees in with regular bâtonnages in stainless steel for six months. Minimal sulfur

From the Importer Louis/Dressner Selections: ‘Champ-Chenin’ — There is a scant amount of Chenin Blanc grown in Chinoncompared to Cabernet Franc. Some of the oldest vines are in Raffault's one-hectare monopole called Champ Chenin, a particularly limestone-rich patch of ground due west of Les Picasses.

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.