February 27, 2015 - Truth juice...peppery, vegetal, smoky aromas and flavors but it's all very subtle and quiet. Not a lot of structure left here, no tannins and the acidity is getting short, but really in a wonderful place now and a pleasure to drink with food. I can't stress how profound and interesting this wine is - will really stretch your perception of what wine can be with age.
August 31, 2014 - Very interesting. Quite alive. Gives some corky notes but I do not think tca. Bell pepper / earth / leather. Got better with air. TFL
June 10, 2014 - The best Raffault of the bunch. Nicely polished and complex. Great balance.
April 21, 2014 - Bottle and fill excellent, cork broke apart when extracted, but no seepage. The wine was bright and appeared to be in good condition. Good color, earthy, barnyard aromas, somewhat like an older Right bank wine, but less compelling. Palate was thin and not to my liking - not enough depth. (Caveat - the only red Loire wine I have liked is Clos Rougeard). If you like Chinon, you might enjoy this, but, for my taste, it doesn't have the material or complexity to benefit from aging.
January 15, 2014 - Nicely evolved with good secondary flavors and complexity. Pretty perfume on the nose.
January 11, 2014 - What a beauty! The nose on this wine is just stunning. As complex as a wine can get. I won't even attempt to put into words, but most of us just sat there mesmerized by it. Silky textured fruit resembling aged Bordeaux with leather, tobacco, tea and taro leaf. None of the green bell pepper notes others have described. Simply an astounding wine.
December 16, 2013 - Mature, ethereal, surreal nose. Fairly long and very silky, improved for a few hours, will still go strong for at least a decade.
November 8, 2013 - Right out of the gate, this was distinctly (intensely) herbal - bell pepper and bay with background notes of red fruits - classic Cab Franc. Over time the herbal subsided and more spicy/cigar box and red fruits came out and the wine revealed more complexity. The palate was soft and silky - smooth, perfectly integrated and still totally alive. It's a 35 year old bottle of Cab Franc - of course it's not going to be a blockbuster - its a "mature" and delicious example of Chinon and one to drink if you are lucky enough to get a chance.
September 27, 2013 - Light in color and weight, old-wine aromatics and interesting flavors on the palate, keeps you coming back for another sip. Not a blockbuster, but complex and nuanced enough to make this a surprisingly good bottle.