Jean-Maurice Raffault’s famed Chinon estate is now run by his son Rodolphe. Chinon is located in the central Loire valley, near Tours, and is the northernmost French red wine appellation. The family has been vignerons in Chinon since 1693 and the estate now comprises 40 hectares spread over 6 communes. Raffault harvests his Cabernet Francs as late as possible and vinifies each soil parcel separately. Fermentation can last up to one month with daily pumping over for maximum extraction of color and flavors. The wines are then aged in Bordeaux casks in his remarkable 54 degree cellar caves cut into the limestone slopes and are bottled without filtration. In his now five years at the helm, Rodolphe Raffault has taken his venerable family estate to a new level of excellence and has quickly gained international recognition.

The Raffault specialty is the different cuvees coming from distinct sites. The Chinon AOC comes from several sites with sandy-gravel soil from the alluival deposits of the ancient bed of the Loire River, is a wine to be enjoyed young for its bright, grapey, black-cherry flavors. Raffault’s unique Chinon Rose is made by the saigne method. It shows bright and lively strawberry fruit with a long, succulent finish. It is a very versatile wine that drinks well on its own, or with charcuterie, goat cheese, fish, and fowl dishes. The Les Galluches vineyard lies near the river on sandy-gravel soil made up of old alluvial deposits. This terroir warms very early, so the wine attains a sweet and lush texture. The Picasses comes from a chalk soil and shows ripe and pure cassis, raspberry and violet flavors with great length; the black purple color is striking. More full bodied and structured still is the Clos d’Isore which has a clay-limestone soil and is reputed as one of the finest sites in Chinon. It has deep violet and black fruit flavors intertwined with minerals and spices. Beginning with the 2001 vintage, Raffault has released his Clos des Capucins. This newly acquired, historic site, dating back to 1790, is one of the finest in Chinon. One and one-half hectares of terraced, vines, averaging 50 years of age, are planted on a south facing “clos.” The exposition and clay-siliceous soil ensure exceptional ripening conditions. The grapes undergo a 28-day period of maceration and ferment in new and 1-2 year old barriques. The wine is aged for 18 months in Raffault’s limestone caves before bottling. The Clos des Capucins is Rodolphe Raffault’s “grand cru.”

Raffault’s Chinon’s are wonderfully expressive wines that go harmonize with a wide variety of classic French dishes, while their natural fruity acidities make them fine matches for Asiatic cuisine, grilled fish, and spicy American foods. For wines of such depth and complexity, they also represent remarkable value.