Olga Raffault Chinon "Les Peuilles" 2020 750ml

The 2020 is not rated yet.  This is year in and year out one of the greatest values.  The les Peuilles vineyard is a plateau down fairly close to the Vienne River, with the vines planted on clay and flint soils. This cuvée is aged in oak for its first year, in the family’s combination of old oak and chestnut foudres, prior to racking back into stainless steel tank for another year of elevage.

Review of 2018: The 2018 les Peuilles is a gorgeous young Chinon, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a refined blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, cigar wrapper, dark soil tones, tree bark, a hint of chicory and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and very pure, with a lovely core of black fruit, excellent soil undertow and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and a very long, complex and classy finish. This is a superb young wine, which is certainly accessible out of the blocks, due to its impeccable balance, but is really made for the cellar and deserves to be tucked away until its tenth birthday, when the fireworks will really begin! (Drink between 2028-2065)

Review of 2019: "The 2019 Chinon “les Peuilles” from Domaine Olga Raffault is nicely low octane in this vintage, coming in at a svelte 12.5 percent octane. As I have mentioned in the past, these vines are planted close to the Vienne River on clay and flint soils, with the wine raised for one year in chestnut foudres and a second year in stainless steel prior to bottling. The 2019 les Peuilles offers up a deep and classy nose of black cherries, cassis, tree bark, cigar wrapper, dark soil tones, 25 espresso and plenty of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of black fruit, good soil signature and grip, ripe, seamless tannins and fine length and grip on the youthful finish. This will be a lovely wine once it has had a bit of cellaring time to soften up its backend tannins. 2029-2075+."