Jean-Maurice Raffault > Loire

Jean-Maurice Raffault > Loire > France

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CHINON

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 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 barrels in his remarkable 54 degree cellar (caves cut into the limestone slopes) and are bottled without filtration. Raffault is one of the few Chinon producers still using oak barrels to produce stable, tannic wines with impressive structure and intensity of fruit. It's fascinating to taste the ultimate expression of the Cabernet Franc varietal in the range of styles made by this very talented winemaker.

Rodolphe Raffault obtained a post graduate degree in Chemistry in Tours and then studied for the National Diploma in Oenology from the University of Dijon. After taking his degree, Rodolphe spent 2 years in Burgundy as a stagiere, followed by another stage at a Loire Co-op. In 1997, he joined his father Jean-Maurice, at the family domaine in Chinon which had by then grown to 40 hectares. He has been in charge of the vineyards and winemaking since the 2000 vintage. Rodolphe is proud to perpetuate his family’s heritage as wine-growers, which began in 1693. He is particularly motivated to continue his late father’s innovation of single-site bottling in Chinon, for example with his revival of the historic Clos des Capucins vineyard. Going forward, Rodolphe Raffault is evolving his vineyards in the direction of sustainable and organic viticulture.

The Raffault specialty is the different cuvees coming from distinct sites.

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

Jean-Maurice Raffault Website

Chinon Rose

Raffault’s unique Chinon Rose is made by the pressed and saignée method depending on the vintage. 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.

This rich rose is issued from 100% Cabernet Franc. The richness of fruit and acidity is perfectly balanced by a slight degree of residual sugar.

Rodolphe Raffault reports that the 2009 Rosé will be “round and silky with aromas of ripe red berry and red citrus fruit.” It is a little richer than the 2008 and a little fresher than the 2007. The excellence of the 2009 vintage was assured by the dryness of the growing season from June on, coupled with hot and dry weather. August brought many days of extreme heat in excess of 100 degrees. September and October were moderately hot and dry, and the daytime temperature at harvest time was an ideal average of 76 degrees. Over the summer, Raffault identified parcels that he felt would be perfect for Rosé production alone. In order to ensure that its alcoholic degree did not exceed 13% and preserve vivacity, Raffault decided to advance the harvest date for the Cabernet Francs dedicated for his Rosé. The Rosé-destined grapes were picked during the first 5 days of October, while those for the Les Galuches and Les Picasses/Clos d’Isore crus were harvested on the 9th -10th and 13th -15th, respectively. Raffault thus obtained a perfect balance of physiological ripeness with natural acidity across his holdings. This selection of parcels also meant that he did not need to do a saignée or bleeding-off all tanks of Cabernet Franc to obtain his Rosé and thereby over-concentrate the 2009 red wines.

Fully 75% of the 2009 Chinon Rosé is from pressed juice, which enhances its bright and expressive quality. Raffault employed a new pneumatic press to handle the grapes as gently as possible, and is very pleased with the result in terms of enhanced aromatics and subtle flavors. This year, he also used a more intensive clarification of the must after pressing (débourbage) in order to further reduce any exposure to oxygen and thus enhance the wine’s full red color.

Raffault fermented the fruit for the Rosé at low, controlled temperatures (15-17 C) using only the grapes' native yeast. Constant cool temperature maintained the wine's natural CO2 level, one of the keys to the Rosé’s vivacity. As of this writing, the 2009 Chinon Rosé is resting on its fine lees with no racking and no de-gazing. It will be clarified by fining (only) before bottling in late February 2010 with 3 grams per litre of residual sugar to round out the palate and enhance the wines' length and depth of flavor. Release date is set for March 1st.

Chinon Blanc

Raffault makes 500 cases per year of a rarely seen white Chinon, made from Chenin Blanc grapes. It is harvested after the reds grapes, and vinified in stainless steel tanks. The white Chinon is bottled in the Spring, at the same time as the Rose. Chinon Blanc is a unique expression of the Chenin Blanc grape. It has a soft, fresh entry, with enticing peach, pear and citrus flavors, nuanced by a gentle minerality from its limestone-chalk soil. The Chinon Blanc is excellent on its own, as an aperitif, and with cold seafood, grilled fish, and curries found in Indian and Thai dishes.

Chinon Rouge

The Chinon AOC comes from several sites with sandy-gravel soil from the alluvial deposits of the ancient bed of the Loire River. It is a wine to be enjoyed young for its bright, grapey, black-cherry flavors.

Parker: “especially successful…versatility at table. Deep black cherry and aromas tinged with vanilla, chocolate…lead to a bright yet quite silken-textured palate loaded with ripe, pit- and herb-accented black cherry fruit…it draws to a lip-smacking finish.”

Chinon - Les Galuches

The Les Galuches 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.

Chinon - Les Picasses

Aged in 3 to 4 years old barrels

The Les 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.

WINE SPECTATOR: “Juicy & structured, but accessible now, with dark currant, bacony toast, olive, briar & bittersweet cocoa.”

Chinon – Clos d’Isore

The Clos d'Isore vineyard produces Raffault's most minerally intense, ageworthy Cabernet Francs. It is not unusual to have beautiful wines even after 20 years of ageing.

Chinon - Clos des Capucins

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 2/3 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.”

WINE SPECTATOR: “Rodolphe Raffault, who took over his family domaine, Jean-Maurice Raffault, from his father in 1997, produces his Clos des Capucins bottling from a 3.5-acre parcel of terraced vines on clay and flint soils. Since the wine’s debut in 2001, it has steadily become one of the appellation’s top bottlings.”