Winemaking at Domaine Olga Raffault has been a family tradition for more than 60 years. Once run by Olga herself, the winery was passed onto Olga's son, Jean, and in the future, her granddaughter Sylvie and husband Eric will run the estate.

The estate has terrific plots of land in the Savigny-en-Véron. The “Les Picasses” vineyard stands out from the rest: old vines of 50-ish years on a fairly steep slope from the riverbank, composed of alluvial clay with a chalk limestone base. The winemaking is most traditional at this estate. The grapes are, of course, handpicked and fermented in stainless steel. The wines are then aged in larger, neutral oak and sometimes chestnut - a traditional barrel wood in the region. The “Les Picasses” spends two to three years in oak to reduce the wine and soften the tannins and is usually released about 4 years after the vintage.

This expressive Chinon has a modest garnet color belying the depth of fruit flavor and complexity. Its style is rustic and quite earthy with hints of orange zest and deep, dark cherry flavor. The tannins are soft, but present, and the mineral complexity in the finish is superb. Serve with braised rabbit, stewed chicken dishes and pan fried duck breast.

—Donald