Olga Raffault, 2001 Chinon ‘Les Picasses’
Cab Franc du Jour #102
Les Picasses is a wine that holds a special place in my Cabernet Franc journey. It has been a constant companion since the beginning, tasted young and old, across cool vintages and warm ones and everything in between, and it never fails to impress.
For five generations, the Raffault family has been farming vines on the Véron Peninsula. Today, Sylvie, Olga Raffault’s granddaughter, and her family run the domaine, organically farming 24 hectares of Cabernet Franc and 1 hectare of Chenin Blanc. Their range includes a domaine wine, a rosé, and three cuvées parcellaires: Les Barnabés in Savigny-en-Véron, and Les Peuilles and Les Picasses, both in Beaumont-en-Véron.
Les Picasses
Les Picasses is one of Chinon’s most historic vineyards and has recently been elevated to a form of Grand Cru status by the appellation, a recognition that reflects the site’s long-standing reputation for quality. The vineyard is located in the commune of Beaumont-en-Véron, spanning approximately 25 hectares, with a viticultural history stretching back to the 15th century. The name itself derives from the term pic, referring to a two-pronged fork-like tool once used to work the vineyard’s stony soils.
The site sits about 3.5km north of the Vienne River at an elevation of around 50 to 60m above sea level. The lower portion of the vineyard, roughly the bottom third, occupies a south-facing slope. The upper portion transitions onto a plateau with a gently convex shape, beginning with a southern exposure before arcing gradually toward the north, with some parcels eventually facing more northerly. The bedrock throughout is the Upper Turonian yellow tuffeau chalk, with topsoils and stoniness varying depending on where in the vineyard you are.
Olga Raffault is the largest single vineyard holder in Les Picasses with approximately 7 hectares, concentrated in the western portion of the lieu-dit. The family’s original parcels have been in their hands since 1928, and the vines today average around 35 years of age. In the finest vintages, they produce a separate bottling exclusively from their south-facing parcels, which they call La Signulière.
The 2001 vintage was showing beautifully. It was a solid rather than banner year in Chinon: higher rainfall, good maturity, and an early harvest, with a character not entirely unlike 2000. But as is so often the case, producer and vineyard matter more than vintage here. Olga Raffault’s Les Picasses can be reliably enjoyed and cellared for decades, and this bottle was a vivid reminder of why.
Wine Details
Producer: Domaine Olga Raffault
Appellation: Chinon
Commune: Beaumont-en-Véron
Lieux-Dits: Les Picasses
Soils: 70cm of a clayey-sandy silt topsoil, atop the Upper Turonian yellow tuffeau chalk bedrock
Alcohol: 12.5%