Olga Raffault Rosé Chinon AOP 2021

Domaine Olga Raffault was founded in 1931 with the marriage of Olga and Pierre Raffault, who merged their families’ lands in the Véron, the humid, low-lying area near the intersection of the Vienne and Loire Rivers. Originally a prime site for growing asparagus, Olga and Pierre realized the gravel and clay-limestone terroir was also ideal for vines, and replaced the asparagus and other crops with cabernet franc. Today the domaine boasts 23 ha of cabernet franc and 1 ha of chenin blanc, with vines averaging 30 years old. Olga and Pierre’s granddaughter, Sylvie, and her husband, Eric de la Vigerie, now run the estate. This cabernet franc rosé is made of 50% certified organic estate fruit, and 50% of fruit purchased from a neighboring grower in the midst of conversion to organic viticulture. Half is directly pressed in whole clusters, while the other half is saigné, all fermented spontaneously with ambient yeasts in stainless steel tanks. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, and is aged in tank, then bottled with light, non-sterile filtration. Elegant wild raspberry and strawberry notes mingle with light hints of crushed herbs and granite minerality on a clean, refreshing finish. Organically grown.