Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

With duck confit tonight, I wanted a good wine, so I went back to Loire that I did not go since a few weeks.

The 2009 Philippe Alliet Chinon Vieilles Vignes seemed ready to drink on the eye, as I remember that wine being dark red, and it is now like medium Bourgogne red. The wine has been numb for a good 69-75 minutes, but after, whoooof! The wine opened drastically, with a great nose of red berries, blackberries, tobacco leave, purple grape, vegetal, light black pepper and other light spices. Also something earthy. In mouth, not as complex as the nose but still very good with purple grape and purple berries attack, medium body, tannins, earth, leafy flavors. Decent finish, light but medium long, like cumin and spicy wood. The magic of Cabernet Franc. Will hold a few more years, but deçant and drink it today is ok. Tn: 90.

Nic

I hear good things about this house Nic. Cab franc is one of my favorite grapes. Unfortunately, this red neck town see's little to no cab franc.

I have to try a chinon some day.

Jim


2007 Olga Raffault Picasses $25

World Class cab franc

Stop sleeping brother

Ha funny you should mention that Bobby, I was just looking at that on the PJ's site in NYC. Same price.
I'll pick some up in a couple weeks when I come back through New York from my vacation.

Any thoughts on the 2009? It goes for a couple bucks more.

And the 2010 is $23.
PJ's calls this THE benchmark wine of the Loire Valley.

I just bought some 2012 Raffault Picasses Chinon last week. Can't wait to open one. I like these cabernet franc from Loire.

Nic

I have a 2009 Olga Raffault Les Picasses that I'll be opening sometime soon.
It'll be my first Chinon, but one of my favs from last year was a Cab Franc from Merryvale.

2007and 2010 is what I want Jim...but hard to go wrong with this house

I am a big 2007 fan

JimHow wrote:And the 2010 is $23.
PJ's calls this THE benchmark wine of the Loire Valley.

I love Raffault, and have been drinking and buying it for 20 years, but the only red producer who could be said to make THE benchmark wine of the Loire Valley is Clos Rougeard. Looking at Raffault, the 2007 is good, but on the rustic side. I prefer the 2009 and 2010 for current drinking. They also do a lot of library releases, and the 1985, 1989, and 1990 are all ready for prime time and are surprisingly inexpensive.

Racer Chris wrote:I have a 2009 Olga Raffault Les Picasses that I'll be opening sometime soon.
It'll be my first Chinon, but one of my favs from last year was a Cab Franc from Merryvale.

Cabernet Franc from the Loire tends to be a very different animal than California CF. Loire CF tends to show much more pyrazines (bell pepper), olives, earthiness, and other savory elements and doesn't have new oak to hide (or offset, if one prefers) those qualities. Think classic old Figeac rather than Angelus.

Mike....I purchased a 1977 Olga library release last yr.
Orlando Bobby (now AWOL) had an epic dinner at his home soon after. The theme centered around Loire wines...The '77 Olga was spectacular and WOTN red versus some serious competition. All that glorious aged franc for $99

Greetings from Dubai!
I got 6 bottles of the 2007 Olga which I will be picking up in NYC late next week!

I find Chinon to be an acquired taste... not for everyone.

Yes!!!!!! and Greetings to u from Austin Tx.

If u do not like it I will purchase all the remaining bottles from u Jim.