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More wines available from Olga Raffault
750ml
Bottle:
$45.94
100% Chenin Blanc. Raffault planted Chenin under ten years ago on the special clay-limestone terroir of the Les...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.20
100% Cabernet Franc. 2022 is the first vintage for the new entry-level Chinon from Raffault. The fruit comes from...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.25
$22.00
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles,...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.94
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles,...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.20
100% Cabernet Franc. Like the more renowned Les Picasses, Les Peuilles is a lieu-dit close to the village of...
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Winery
Olga Raffault
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Today, Cabernet Franc is one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, and thrives well in temperate climates and valley regions in many Old and New World countries. Its importance in wine history cannot be overstated – as one of the key ingredients for the magnificent Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style wines, it has helped shape the world of quality wines and raise the bar for vintners across the globe. The Cabernet Franc varietal lends its wonderful array of unusual, spicy and fruity aromas to blended wines, and yet can also carry itself very well in single variety bottles too. The bright red color of the fermented Cabernet Franc juices make this an elegant varietal, packed full of delightfully intense, rich flavors of currants, and perfumes of violets and tobacco.
Region: Loire Valley
Despite being most closely associated with fine white wines made with the excellent Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc varietal grapes which thrive there, the region of the Loire Valley in France also produces several other quality wines. The sub-region of Chinon is highly esteemed for its excellent Cabernet Franc based red wines, packed full of unique character and excellent fruity flavors, and the sparkling crémant wines of the region are adored by people all over the world. The region benefits enormously from the fertile valley it sits in, and the oceanic breezes which blow over the area, cooling the vines and helping them reach full and balanced levels of ripeness. The Loire Valley is an ancient wine region, with a viticultural history which stretches back two thousand years and is stronger than ever today.
Country: France
Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.