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Jean-Maurice Raffault and Rodolphe Raffault’s family began cultivating vines in Chinon 14 generations ago, when their ancestor, Mathurin Bottreau, bought his first parcel of vines in 1693. The Chinon appellation covers both banks of the Vienne River, which is a tributary of the Loire. The appellation encompasses 19 communes and has a total area of 2400 hectares. Its soils and climate are perfectly suited to the cultivation of the Cabernet Franc grape.

The late Jean-Maurice Raffault, father of the present manager and winemaker Rodolphe, was one the great personalities of Chinon. Upon taking over the family Domaine in 1973, Jean-Maurice revolutionized local practices and put new practices in place that were widely emulated in the region. First, he abandoned polyculture in favor of the cultivation of only wine grapes. Beginning with only the 4.5 hectares he had inherited from his father, Maurice, Jean-Maurice purchased and planted some of the finest known sites of Chinon, expanding the Domaine to 50 hectares. But most importantly, he began to vinify each parcel separately to ensure the typicity of each Terroir. To reinforce this initiative, and to highlight the unique character of each wine as a result of the soil type and microclimate of its origin, Jean-Maurice began to use the name of the individual sites for the respective wines. No one has done this before in Chinon! The practice of naming Chinons with site names is now commonplace in the appellation, and it began with Jean-Maurice Raffault’s innovation.

Rodolphe Raffault succeeded his father as winemaker and manager in 1997, after completing his studies at the Dijon University School of oenology. Today he vinifies and ages each wine separately. The maceration period ranges from 15 to 28 days. Rodolphe continues the tradition of aging the Chinons in neutral oak casks that are more than 10 years old. Their impressive cellar houses 900 barrels and is the largest in the region. Maturation takes place over 18 months in three huge caves cut into the limestone cliffs, protected from light and remaining at a constant temperature of 56 degrees and 85% humidity. Racking is done from barrel to barrel, in the traditional method, which helps to clarify the wines along with a later fining with egg whites. The wines are not filtered.

Today, Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault owns 50 hectares of vines in 7 communes. The Cabernet Franc vines average 35 years of age and 10 hectares within these sites are 50 years of age. The Chenin Blanc vines average 20 years of age. The Domaine practices sustainable viticulture, known as Lutte raisonnée in France. The soils are either plowed or planted with grass. No chemical fertilizers or herbicides are used. Drawing on his experience in Burgundy, Rodolphe initiated the practice of carrying out the wine’s malolactic fermentation in 100% new barriques for his top cuvees. This practice, rare in Chinon, results in dramatically expressive and pure wines.

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

THE WINES

CHINON BLANC

This rare wine, made from Chenin Blanc grapes, represents only 2% of the total Chinon production. The grapes are planted mostly in the commune of Ligre, on chalky, limestone clay soils. J-M Raffault’s Chinon Blanc is fermented at low temperatures with only native yeasts. It is a white wine of true finesse, at once rich and very fresh with notes of citrus, honey and white fruits.

CHINON ROSE

J-M Raffault’s Chinon Rosé is considered the finest of the Loire Valley. It is made from Cabernet Franc grapes planted on alluvial sand and gravel soils on the former Loire river bed. Raffault picks the fruit dedicated to the Rosé at the start of his harvest period, when it typically has attained one degree less in sugar than that of the Chinon Les Galuches, which is picked next. All the fruit is selected on a sorting table before entering the press by gravity, and is never pumped. To enhance the quality of the Rosé, Rodolphe Raffault uses only pressed juice that is selected and vinified parcel by parcel. To ensure that the juice is as pure as possible, Raffault uses minimal pressure and fanatically avoids any possibility of oxygenation. And he uses only the juice obtained at the middle stage of the pressing, eliminating the first and last parts because they are not as pure. One day after the pressing, Raffault thoroughly clarifies the must (débourbage) to remove any solids that might diminish the wine’s aromatics and taste. Raffault ferments the Chinon Rosé at low, controlled temperatures (15-17 C) using only the grapes’ native yeast until it is fully dry. The constant, cool temperature maintains the wine’s natural CO2 level, one of the keys to the Rosé’s vivacity. The low temperature also prevents any malolactic fermentation as the Chinon Rosé develops on its fine lees in tank for 5 months. Before bottling in late February, the wine is racked to diminish the level of CO2 and is then lightly filtered to ensure clarity. The J-M Raffault Chinon Rosé has a brilliant, pomegranate-red color, bright red-berry and red-citrus fruit, and a long, fresh and succulent finish.

CHINON ROUGE

The fruit for Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault’s Chinon Rouge comes from vineyards on sandy, alluvial soil near the Vienne River. This origin gives a supple, fruity Chinon that is perfect for early drinking. The wine’s bright cherry and raspberry flavors are best appreciated with a slight chill.

CHINON LES GALUCHES

The Galuches lieu-dit is an ancient river bed of the Loire. The name of parcel derives from the presence of gravel. According the records from the era, vines were already well established in this sector by the 1830s. The Cabernet Franc ripens very well in the Domaine’s 10 hectare holding on a sand and gravel soil. The Galuches is always among the first site to be picked because the soil warms up quickly and drains very well. The wine is very aromatic and is noted for its bouquet of violets, followed by lush and supple dark berry/cherry fruit.

CHINON CLOS D’ISORE

This parcel is situated in the enclosed vineyard of the Chateau d’Isore, completed in the 17th century. The ancient cellar of the Chateau is located beneath the vines. The 3 hectare vineyard was fully planted in 1938 with a selection massale, which is largely intact to this day. The soil is a mix of clay and limestone and the exposition of the sloping vineyard is north-west. The Clos d’Isore is aged for 18 months in 1 to 5 year old barriques on its fine lees and malolactic fermentation takes place in cask. It is a wine for long aging, and the taster will appreciate the wine’s complex cassis and dark cherry qualities after at least 3 years in the cellar.

CHINON CLOS DE L’HOSPICE

In early 2008, the Clos de L’Hospice, one of Chinon’s greatest sites, was replanted by Rodolphe Raffaut of Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault. This extraordinary, one-hectare vineyard is a steeply sloped natural amphitheater with limestone soil. It faces south, overlooking the Vienne River, opposite the Chateau de Chinon. Once owned by Rabelais’ descendants, the Clos was highly prized in times past and was regularly mentioned in historical documents. It belonged to the convent of Calvarian and Augustinian nuns from the 17th century through the French Revolution, where it served as a source of income for their hospital – hence its name: the Clos de L’Hospice. Preferring to tend to their vegetables, in 1876 the sisters allowed local Vignerons to maintain the vineyard. The nuns kept the wine in poor vintages for their patients’ consumption at the Hospice and sold off the good years at profit. This arrangement continued until the vineyard was devastated during the Phylloxera epidemic.

Despite various projects, the Clos remained unplanted with vines until 2008. Amazingly enough, up until the 1980s, the land was used as a garden by hospital patients. The hospital relocated in 1980 and sold the land, which enabled the Clos de L’Hospice to once again become a vineyard. In 2008, Rodolphe Raffault revived the site for his Domaine in cooperation with the town of Chinon and an investment group who had undertaken the renovation of the Chateau — itself a national historic monument — along with the construction of new residences at the site of the former convent. Raffault planted 0.65 hectares in the Clos with pre-WWII selection massale Cabernet Franc vines to attain a vineyard that is as close as possible to the original. He will plant the remaining section after the 2013 harvest.

The first harvest took place in 2011, an ideal sunny year with a long growing cycle. Raffault picked the Clos last, on October 5th, two weeks after the harvest of his Les Galuches and several days after the Les Picasses and Clos d’Isore. The grapes were harvested by hand and given a long, one-month maceration period followed by frequent remontages. The 2011 vintage was aged in three, new 500 litre barrels, for 12 months. After the malolactic fermentation in cask finished, Raffault did not add sulfites and also chose not to rack the young wine. Rather, it remained protected under the natural CO2 produced by the malolactic fermentation. Before assemblage in late November 2012, Raffault replaced the CO2 with inert gas to prevent any oxidization. Sulfites were not used during any phase. Bottling took place on December 10, 2012.

The Gautier Domaine in Vouvray has been in the family for seven generations. The origins are known to date back to the 17th Century, from a document noting the presence of vines around the Gautier house in 1669. Benoit Gautier, the present viticulteur, took charge in 1981. He began the policy of Domaine bottling, whereas previously all of their wines were sold to negociants. Today, the Domaine comprises 15 hectares of vines in the Vouvray AOC communes of Rochecorbon and Parcay-Meslay. The soil is the classic limestone-clay with silex for which the central Loire is famous. The average age of the vines is 25 years. Gautier usually harvests over a period of 21 days in late September and October. Bottling takes place from April to June following the harvest, and the bottles are aged in the domaine’s permanently cool cellar cut deep into the hillside.

Gautier’s sparkling wine, Vouvray Cuvee Antique Methode Traditionelle, is made from 20-year-old vines across the estate’s vineyards in Rochecorbon and Parcay-Meslay. Grass is planted between the vine rows to reduce yields and create a healthy natural ambiance. Gautier identifies and picks the Chenin Blanc vineyard parcels for his sparkling wines at the start of the harvest period, generally at 1.5 degrees lower in maturity than the fruit harvested 7-21 days later for the still wines. The grapes are gently pressed at low pressure and under a blanket of Co2 to prevent exposure to oxygen. The juice is then cleared of the solids. Fermentation takes place with the grape’s natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks at a controlled low temperature of 16C. The young wine then matures in tank until bottling in January. All of the bottles are stored in Gautier’s cellar with a constant temperature of 9C, where the secondary fermentation takes place. The bottles are riddled and eventually de-gorged in the cool cellar. To maintain a dry, fresh and finesse style, Gautier typically uses only 10 grams per litre of cane sugar for the dosage before re-corking. About 450 cases of Cuvee Antique Methode Traditionelle are produced annually.

The “Vouvray De Gautier” is winemaker Benoit Gautier’s signature wine of the vintage. It is made from a selection of ripe Chenin Blanc grapes from many of his Domaine’s vineyard parcels with flint-clay (argilo-siliceux) soil. Grass is planted between the vine rows to reduce yields and create a healthy natural ambiance. The grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press at low temperature and fermented with the natural yeasts present on the grape skins. The wine matures on its fine lees in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks over four months. Three is no malolactic fermentation. In the Spring, Gautier chooses young wines with the sugar-acid balance that he seeks for Vouvray de Gautier. The fruity acidity of the Chenin Blanc is balanced with apricot and pear fruit with and honey notes and just enough residual sugar – the amount varies from year to year in proportion to acidity level – to attain a slightly off-dry finish. The Wine Spectator’s comments on the 2010 vintage well characterize the wine: “Juicy and pure, with a tasty mix of green and yellow apple fruit intertwined with fennel, anise and star fruit notes. Offers a bright, juicy finish” (90 score, Feb. 28, 2013). About 1000 cases of Vouvray de Gautier are made annually.

In 2004, Gautier launched a new and original cuvee, ARGILEX. It derives from white clay (argile) soil mixed with crumbled silex or quartz in specific hillside vineyard sites in the communes of Rochecorbon and Parcay-Meslay. The silex layers derive from coral bands in the ancient sea-bed dating back one million years. The silex particles embedded in clay often glisten in the sunlight. The grapes for the Argilex are harvested by hand at the precise moment when ripeness and natural acidity are in optimal balance, so that the wines is as fresh, vivid and expressive as possible. The wine is vinified fully dry at cold temperature using only native yeasts, and it is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to highlight the bright, racy fruit. The fine lees are kept in suspension until bottling in April, as they impart complexity and nuance to the wine. Gautier’s Vouvray Argilex is a stylish, fully dry Vouvray, with pear, apricot and citrus notes carried by a long, minerally finish. About 600 cases are produced annually.

The Clos la Lanterne is a particularly historic site. It is a hillside vineyard with limestone-clay soil, which spreads out beneath the “Lantern of Rochecorbon,” an old watch tower, with a commanding view of the Loire Valley. The exceptional exposure and microclimate gives wines of compelling flavor and intensity. Speaking of this vineyard, Roger Voss, in his book The Wines of The Loire, comments “here was a mature Demi-Sec Vouvray from the classic 1985 vintage that revealed how the wines can develop after their closed-up period: a wine of great ripeness and richness, with a deliciously-perfumed, slightly dusty character and hints of minerals, superbly balanced, and promising years ahead of it.”

Jean-Pierre and his son Samuel Baron own 20 hectare families Domaine in the village of Thesée, about a 30 minute drive east of Tours, on the right-bank of the Cher River. Beginning in 1946, Jean-Pierre’s father was among the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc grapes in this region which is now recognized as Appellation Touraine Controlée. Jean-Pierre Baron decided to leave the local co-op and begin estate bottling with the 1998 vintage and a new Loire star was born. In recent years, he has handed the vineyard and winemaking duties to his son, Samuel. Beginning with the 2010 growing season, Samuel initiated the transition of his estate to organic farming, or “Agriculture Biologique.” The Domaine will attain its certification in two years.

The Barons prune severely in the fall to limit yields to a very low under-40 hectolitres per hectare and ensure healthier, riper fruit. Organic, composted fertilizer is used only when necessary. The Barons strive to prevent vine diseases and parasites before they become problematic. The topsoil is lightly tilled so as to remove weeds without disturbing the sub-soil, thereby encouraging the vine’s roots to go further down into the ground. The deeper the root, the more the wine is consistent from vintage to vintage, because the vines are less affected by temperature variations in the top soil. Baron’s Sauvignon Blanc vineyard is situated on a south-east-facing slope with a clay-limestone-silex soil. The vines average 35 years old. Because his fruit is of such high quality, the Barons can pick on the early side and avoid over-ripeness and the loss of any acidity and freshness. The grapes are gently pressed and lightly clarified (debourbage).

Fermentation takes place in tanks at controlled, low temperatures and the wine is left on its lees over the winter before racking and bottling in March. Baron’s Sauvignon Les Vieilles Vignes has excellent concentration and body, with an enticing lime-citrus and stone fruit bouquet and a long finish. Baron’s Sauvignon is a ripe, complex wine with pure Loire terroir character. It is the equal of many basic Sancerres in the market, and is a far better value.

The Barons also cultivate one hectare of 35 year-old Côt (the local name for Malbec) vines planted on a south-facing gentle slope with a well drained, limestone-clay soil. This vineyard was planted to Côt before phyloxera. It was later replanted with other varieties and then re-converted to Cot by Jean-Pierre Baron in an effort to revive the cultivation of Malbec that was very common in the Touraine region in times past. The vines are all selection massale plants (and not clones) selected from a nearby 50 year old, ideal Côt vineyard. Baron farms organically and sustainably. Grass is planted between the rows and plowed under below the vines. Baron harvests at full maturity in early October. The grapes are all de-stemmed and given an 8-day maceration period at 20 degrees C. Baron carries out only one pumping over operation (remontage) every two days to attain sufficient extraction without over concentrating the wine. He racks the wine early so that the alcoholic fermentation finishes without the presence of solids that would otherwise impart an astringent element to the wine. Baron adds less than 20% of press-wine to the final blend since the “jus de goutte” already has excellent color and richness. Aging continues in large tanks and Baron bottles his Cot in early July so as to preserve the primary fruit and aromas. The wine is aged another 6 months in bottle before release. Baron’s Cot is a deeply saturated, dark purple wine with juicy and spicy black cherry and kirsch flavors and characteristic Loire freshness and succulence.