Les Picasses 2017: Worth the Wait!
A hundred years ago Chinon’s wine was rated the equal of Margaux. In charm, if not in force or structure, it can come surprisingly close today… For its quality it is absurdly undervalued
—Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson in The World Atlas of Wine
The wine is simply outstanding
John Gilman, writing about Les Picasses 2017 in View from the Cellar
Chinon used to be one of the most collectible wines in Europe, and it still deserves to be today. The best examples have delicious fruit, fine structure, pure minerality, and age for decades (we've had great examples going back to the '70s). And Olga Raffault’s Chinon “Les Picasses” is one of the best. So if you have space in your cellar, this is an absolute must-have reasonably-priced bottle to load up on.
But even if you don't have anywhere to lay any bottles down, Raffault's "Les Picasses" is also an absolutely "outstanding" wine for drinking now. It's from a single vineyard of the same name – one of Chinon’s very finest. It's a site of pure, chalky "tuffeau" limestone, which gives a wine that is a different beast from the simpler bistro wines that mostly come from Chinon’s sandier and more gravelly sites. Raffault's vines are old (50+ years) and dig deep into the light, friable limestone, soaking up all the minerally goodness. They are farmed organically and the winemaking is a long, slow, old-fashioned process that makes for gorgeously expressive wines. Raffault is equally patient about releasing its wines -- the 2017 has been resting in their cool, Loire cellars for years, just waiting till it was ready to hit your table.
Yes, age-worthy as it may be, this bottling is ready to hit your table! It's already fine and silky, but also structured, minerally, and balanced enough to go with just about any food you can think of. BBQ? Sure! Burgers? There is nothing better! Crème brulée dessert? Honestly, with cassis fruit and fine structure, why not?
This is an all-time Flatiron favorite and we couldn't be happier to be able to share the new vintage.
Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 2017 - $31.99
"The 2017 vintage of les Picasses from Domaine Raffault has just been released, nearly six years out from the vintage. The wine is simply outstanding on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet hopping from the glass in a vibrant and already complex blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravelly soil tones, a touch of smoked meats, currant leaf and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb mid-palate depth, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, well-measured tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very classy finish. At age six, this wine is certainly approachable today, but it is still a puppy and the real fireworks will not start until it is at least twelve years of age. Outstanding young Chinon! 2023-2075+. "
"The 2017 vintage of les Picasses from Domaine Raffault has just been released, nearly six years out from the vintage. The wine is simply outstanding on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet hopping from the glass in a vibrant and already complex blend of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, gravelly soil tones, a touch of smoked meats, currant leaf and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with superb mid-palate depth, excellent soil signature and grip, ripe, well-measured tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and very classy finish. At age six, this wine is certainly approachable today, but it is still a puppy and the real fireworks will not start until it is at least twelve years of age. Outstanding young Chinon! 2023-2075+. "
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