Everything you look for in an aged cabernet franc. Medium garnet color. Showed some definite green pepper and earthy forest floor notes on the nose with a bit of plum and black cherry but definitely more savory than fruit driven. On the palate however the fruit still comes through along with medium+ acidity and a slightly spicy but smooth finish. Pretty good length on the finish as well. Really enjoyed it.
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Aged Cab Franc. Vegetal notes on nose and palate let you know what this varietal is. Transparent red in the glass. Tannin is tamed , but time has taken away most of the fruit. Smooth, elegant, and well balanced, but I prefer the vibrancy of youth.
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Tasting at Maine Cabin: Complex aromas of green and black olives, with roasted red pepper, black pepper, tobacco, tones of leather, mushroom glaze. The palate shows dusty tannins and lively acidity, with flavors of red cherries, raspberries, red currants, laced with saucy, savory, brothy tones. A lot going on, such an elegant mouthfeel. Loving how expressive and vibrant and spicy this wine showed.
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Smells of fresh earth and green leaves - like a greenhouse with some tobacco and graphite thrown in. Not a lot of fruit left, and a lot less bell pepper than others have commented on. But the texture is out of this world: light and fresh. Score: 91. Relative to expectations: ++
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A nice wine. A bit linear and somewhat narrow on the palate. Has a nice nose of tobacco leaf. Nice length on the finish too, despite the rather lean fruit on the palate. Crunchy bright acidity.
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Nicely mature wine. Green bell pepper and tobacco nose. Red berry and green leaves, good acidity and still a little structural tannin. Finishes with some bitter woody herbal flavors.
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Bottle #2 of the case about 5 years after the first. Tannins are fully resolved. The wine is lighter in color and weight than before. More herbal and vegetal than the last one - no fruit to speak of. I’m not getting meaty or leather tertiary type notes with this bottle. Maybe this will come with time.
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Sadness. Last bottle of a case. I adore this wine, second only to the 1989. Classic old Chinon nose - dusty, musty, leather and green pepper. So captivating. Light-bodied, fruit starting to fade leaving tame fine tannins. Earthy. Dusty cherry. The green pepper from the nose is in the mouth as well. Lengthy finish - wonderfully balanced tannin and acid, with lingering mustiness. Dusty green pepper gets the last word. This is great stuff. Sadness, but memories of time and pleasure.
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nose - strong aroma of bell pepper, slightly farty. pyrazine promenade. mouth - great red fruit spectrum, bitter plum, clean with good minerality. nicely evolved and impressively in its prime.
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Great showing. Expressive nose of gently stewed dark fruit, wet earth, pencil lead, bell pepper. The nose is alluring and really just lovely, if you enjoy the Loire red framework of funky nose. On the palate this wine is gentle and balanced and silky and really an expressive and delicious wine. The flavors mirror the nose, and really resonate in the mouth and nose. This bottle feels mature, although there is lots of room left to grow. But it's no longer a primary wine. Really good wine.
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Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The tannins are a little chalky but the feel is refined with tobacco notes, red cherries, cranberries, herbs, roses, and leather tones.
Overall: This was an original bottle and it was drinking beautifully. This felt extremely youthful compared to the 85, but it too showed off a sense of refinement and excellent depth. The only thing this lacked was that next gear of layering and upper aromatics, but it is an outstanding wine that is extremely enjoyable.
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Dinner at Etto: Tasted blind, guessed the producer and wine but thought it was an older vintage. Loving the nose: pepper, herbs, jerky, bell pepper, leather, all on top of black cherries. Nice grip to the tannins, bright acidity, lovely depth but also lots of freshness. Earthy, savory, dusty, smoky, barbecue pit, on top of black cherry goodness. Gorgeous but lots of time ahead.
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Electric ruby color. Austere old-school nose that pops with rustic red fruits, green pepper, and dried pine needles. The palate sparkles with ripe fruit and slightly elevated acid. A wine that calls for the dinner table. Medium bodied, traditional well-made wine. Really nice sweetness emerges with marries nicely with the herbal, green peppercorn elements after 45 minutes in the decanter. As good a Chinon as I can remember tasting. (92)
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Still a lot of upside -- don't think this is close to it's prime drinking window, expect it needs another 5-7 years. Dusty cherry, cigar box and just a touch of barnyard funk on the nose. Red fruit, green pepper, some stems, earth, a little spice and vegetal notes on the palate. Classic Loire Cab Franc -- and a very nice pairing with lamb shanks. Don't revisit until after 2020.
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Nice red from the Loire. Vegetal notes on the nose and palate may be off putting to some, but this is Cabernet Franc. If you don't like it, this is not your red varietal! The Loire and the Finger Lakes of upstate New York are your best bets if you love this varietal in it's pure form. I like this wine a lot from nose to finish.
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Pop and pour. One of the rare occasions where the palate completely outperforms the nose. Very reticent nose not giving much at all. Gorgeous resolved palate with seamless texture and secondary earthy flavors. Still retaining notes of dried fruit as well. I'd say to drink these up as it seems to me that this wine is at peak or on a slow decent.
Really nice place right now with alot of upside down the years. Great red fruits on nose with classic hints of earth and jalapeno. Mostly primary red fruits, but hinting at middle age maturity with some light earth. Medium body, good structural tannins, and solid acidity. Good now with about 1+hr air. Better in a couple years.
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A bit funky upon opening but with a little air showed a mixture of barnyard, mushroom, pomegranate and green veggies. Similar flavors on the palate with a nice mix of fruit and earth. Medium+ acid, medium tannin and body. More mature on the nose than the palate, this wine has plenty of life left. Will let my remaining bottle sit for another couple of years.
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Shows occasional glimpses of why I enjoy this cuvée but this bottle seemed unstabilized by brett. Combining with some stemmy flavors, it made me think TCA - but no. Each glass a bit different and a nice pair with leg of lamb. Just not a great bottle.
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I cannot keep my hands off this wine. Opened it for a friend to show him slightly-aged Chinon from a really good producer. The nose is really all you need - it is dusty and leather. The green pepper is muted - more in this bottle than any of my prior bottles - but still present. On the initial attack the wine has a bit of sour feeling - tightly but only briefly tannic - and the finish is medium long with the acid coming into play at that point. The fruit is pie cherry but barely there - the wine is so masculine and so earthy which, for me, is perfect.
I have had several vintages of this wine and this is the second best - behind only 1989 and I think this might eclipse that one when it's close to the same age. The nose is leathery and dusty with a bit of green pepper. Just keep the nose in the glass for awhile - it's fantastic. Parallels with 20-year-old Right Bank Bordeaux, without the assertiveness. Light-bodied, vivid red fruit, a finish that carries tart cherry and, again, green pepper. The tannins became more prominent after three hours than when first opened but even those are fine-grained and compelling. On the finish, the tannins fade quickly and it ends with acidity that bathes the mouth. This wine is fantastic though I suppose it will be a little polarizing - the masculinity, cigar box, dusty leather nature of it might be off-putting to some. If so - send me the rest of yours!
Drinking very nicely, but could easily see a few more years in bottle. Decanted, surprisingly little sediment. Nose is sophisticated, old leather, tobacco, masculine. A bit of barnyard that blew off after half an hour. Palate is more of the same, clearly cab franc, acidic and lean at first, but filling out with fleshy tannins, and undertones of dark bramble fruits, and a hint of mint.
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Olga Raffault Les Picasses - Past & Present Tasting (New York, NY): Decanted for one hour prior to serving. Color was ruby red. On the nose red fruit and some bell pepper. On the palate youthful and fresh but did not leave a significant impression. Enjoyable to drink but not nearly as complex as the older wines.
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I have had several vintages of this wine and this is the second best - behind only 1989 and I think this might eclipse that one when it's close to the same age. The nose is leathery and dusty with a bit of green pepper. Light-bodied, vivid red fruit, a finish that carries tart cherry and, again, green pepper. The tannins became more prominent after three hours than when first opened but even those are fine-grained and compelling.
Deep brick color. Distinct forest and herb nose but plenty of fruit for me. Maybe some cinnamon as well. Surprised so many find this austere but hey, different strokes...Palate is perfectly resolved with a bit of leather on the finish. Old world for sure, and I like it. (91)
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Cherry, tobacco, and funk, not much greenness on the nose. Bright cherry, gooseberry, and balanced acidity on the palate. A long mineral finish tinged with a little bitterness at the very end that was tempered by the food (pepperoni pizza, favorite Chinon pairing).
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I have had this several times in the past couple of years, and they have been remarkably consistent. Consistently delicious IMHO. Last time I opened it blind with a pretty serious wine group at Bobo in NYC, and the bottle was very polarizing. The hardcore burg folks were not fans. It comes down to whether you like that special cab franc funk. Barnyard. Bell pepper. I happen to love it; moreover, it is a tremendous value and a very versatile food wine. This is in a great spot now, where I would expect it to remain for some time. FWIW, 1990 is drinking beautifully right now as well.
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Loire Reds (and 4 vintages of Olga Raffault) (Jeff K's): My WOTN. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has raspberries, green tobacco and slight cigar box dustiness notes. On the palate, juicy acidity. Plenty or black raspberry fruit. Not overdone though. Some forest floor notes too. Nice texture. Great balance. This is developing nicely but should continue to gain complexity. Still out there for under $30, this is a great value in today's wine world.
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This bottle is unbelievably more taut and closed than the last, but then that might make sense as these bottles are part of a recently arrived new library release shipment from the Raffault cellar via Bowler, and clearly these have not been pushed forward in time through brief moments of improper aging. The last bottle I had tried was in a friend's cellar for about 5 years...and unclear how long it had been on a shelf in a shop. Stil great, though; just less crystalline and expressive strawberry fruit.
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Very nice. Meaty, leather, red bell pepper, still good tannin and red fruit. First bottle of a case. Excited to watch this develop over another 20 years or so :)
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decanted one hour, while I've had several of these, this one was far and away so different, deep and dark, smokey, tobacco box, leather, for me just wonderful. A little of the green tobacco leaf but less than I usually find. Red fruit element was minimal but the overall character of the wine is like a men's club setting, sitting in leather chairs with people smoking cigars in the distance. Hope the remaining are like this, my wife does not.
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open an hour, more herbal than fruitful, soft and well balanced, good acid but leaves a bit to be desired in fruit component. Correct notes of green tobacco leaf and spices. Actually prefer the Taluau from '89. Hopefully will develop over time.
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This wine is outstanding. The 2007 Cab Franc Classic to buy boxes and drink in the next 20 years. 2006 more restrained of them. 2002 das extremely elegant. The acidity of the three vintage is amazing
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Really lovely. Pure, fresh and lively. Not as herbal and sharp as this can be. Great minerality. A bit of grip still there but ready to drink and suits classic dishes well. Drink now and for next 5 years for maximum pleasure I think.
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Ruby in color, showing little age. Bretty notes—more horse and saddle than barnyard—never diminish but integrate with air, giving way to a nose of green pepper, liquorice, and subtle cherry. Earthy and dark on the palate. The finish is both persistent and intense. This will drink nicely for 10+ more years.
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The nose on this is outstanding; complex and deep showing green (but not vegetal) notes, tobacco, leather, ash and an old world earthiness that are well integrated with plummy dark fruit. On the palate this is balanced and even from entry through finish, showing red fruit mixed with tobacco leaf and ashy earthy notes. This did feature a rather course, grainy mouthfeel over the two days it was consumed and also showed an unwavering dose of brett. Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable bottle.
Very Good - drink or hold
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What a difference 7 years make.... Tasted alongside the 2002 Roches Neuves Marginale. The Marginale feels blocky; nose is full of vinyl and graphite, but it seems square and encumbered by comparison to the Raffault's lively, sprite strawberry aroma which pierces an earthy asphalt aroma and thankfully seems to precede the requisite earthy green bell pepper, rendering it fresh, lively, and light. At first the Germain had no bite on the finish, and the Raffault did; then after an hour, the inverse; then once again they traded positions towards the end of dinner. Somewhat chameleon-like but the great lightness of the Raffault won the day with its juicy black pepper and bell pepper and a bit of that paper towel cardboard tube smell that young, tannic Grenache can show as well. We agreed this was a particularly stellar bottle!
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Slightly distracting amount of brett (though not way overdone) for the first hour or so. Blew off a bit after that. Classic chinon. Not the best showing for this wine, but definitely nice.
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Classic chinon. Green pepper, black pepper dominate the nose. Fruit almost non-existent. Lighter-weight. Earthy and tobacco notes linger on the finish.
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Loire Cab Franc Tasting: Lovely brothy nose with herbay ripe cherry and hints of tobacco and earth, but with a seamless integration the younger wines lack. There's still plenty of sappy fruit here, with less acid than the young wines, and also lots of ashy soil and earth, light in weight, very nice length. A clean bottle, no brett. Lovely wine and my WOTN.
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A bit more reserved than I would have guessed - even after a good decant. Still fairly youthful- lovely red fruits on the nose with some earthiness (no crazy funk at all) hint of mint and spice also. nice medium weight on the palate - almost some glycerol at the core - terrific acidity and a long finish. Very good but will wait at least three years befor I try another.
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A hint of brett and barnyard on the nose that blew off after some air; The palate is a little less open than when I last tried this, but still has some lovely and dense red fruits and savory characteristics of pepper, leather and bell pepper; Fruit is still very present, suggesting this has a lot of life ahead
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Barnyard on the nose continues into the glass... "horses, horse sweat and horse sh_t!" is what she said... I liked it a little better, slight red fruit moving quickly into earthiness and the aforementioned horse-iness (SP?). Slight but distinct brettiness, which is really what puts me off... admittedly hard to love, even for someone who likes a little of the barn in his yard.
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This is a nice Chinon that is very enjoyable. The nose is pretty classic with some red fruit, herbal notes, hints of bell pepper and violet, and some damp earth. The palate is well developed, balanced, elegant, and tasty. Not mind blowing, but well made, nicely aged example of elegant cab franc. Definitely worth trying.
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Barnyard and funk, over herbs, stems, and savory notes. The red fruit plays second-fiddle to the savory and tobacco notes. Loads of acidity, and a good, very approachable, backbone of tannin.
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I really liked this. The bright, jagged acidity has softened a bit and the red, brambly fruit is framed by earthy, meaty tones and fine spices. Superbly balanced and almost gulpable. This is *just* entering its adolescence and has a ways to go, but was really lovely with roast chicken and duck now.
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On opening this was very promising, with rich seams of strawberry interlaced with blackberry, but the faint green taste I noticed got progressively worse as the evening drew on, in the end taking over completely, as well as a thin, bitter finish. So maybe a bad bottle, but not what I had hoped.
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The nose and palate exhibit notes of tobacco, dried herbs, green pepper and smoke that are quite nuanced, with plenty of structure for additional aging; This is my first experience with aged Chinon, and I thought it was drinking beautifully with a long life ahead
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Being that my overall impression is that this wine exhibits significant bottle variation, I judiciously decided to open another for comparison; in the name of science, mind you. A Sauternes strode out to front this evening, so the occasion of a third bottle might prompt some to assume that my enthusiasm might be a tad plumped by circumstance, but no - with all due diligence and staid, rational contemplation at hand, this bottle was less balanced - the acidity and alcohol are more than just "present," they are overtopping the other elements.
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There is a sense of "old wine" here, a leathery, earthy, leaf-litter quality. It contrasts with a young, tangy, fruity nose. On the palate, red fruit, green herbs, real contrast - fresh, ripe cherries and old, cured grass. An overall dusty, woody aspect that lasts long into the finish, comforting, if anything. Here, I think it all boils down to a pleasing complexity within overall good balance. Noticeable acidity, and while not stratospheric at 12.5%, the alcohol is 'present.' Here, it all works.
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This is a bottle I bought upon release, not one of the ones with the new label that came later. The wine is honestly excellent. I don't know if I'm evaluating it differently from most people, but to me it goes down like a friendly Riesling - balanced, acidic, fruity, complex too - delicious. The fruit is red and lovely but it is receding now, and what's left is beautifully balanced and almost impossibly shot through with graphite, bone dry, fresh and pure Cabernet. Lovely. I would drink this wine every month forever if I could. If I had to pick a nit it;s that the alcohol at 12.5% sticks out just a bit here and there on the nose.
High acid dinner (Rieslings, Riojas, Madeiras, etc) (Milford, CT): Lovely wine that screams of old-school Loire Cab Franc. Tobacco, tar, violets, herbs and earth. Complex, layered and very well delineated. A bit stalky in a good way (not overtly green)... just enough to add complexity. Snappy acidity keeps this lively.
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Great company, very short notes: My best experience with wine, as the ripe, fruity cab-franc half of this Jeckyll-and-Hyde seems to be maturing and yielding to its more serious, herbal other half. Another several years may yet resolve the split personality that has been my issue with this wine.
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Rieslings, Riojas, and old fortified wines at Marco's (Milford, CT): One of the better bottles I've had of this. No brett at all, just pure, sappy red berried fruit accented with green herbs, tobacco, and more savoury earthy notes on a medium weight frame. The richness of the fruit and the tannic backbone suggests there's a lot of time ahead here, but after a double decant this was drinking very well.
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Opened at Pearl &Ash. Bottle opened with noticeable funk. My wife commented that it smelled "wet," but we thought that would dissipate a bit if it got some air. As it got some air it really just smelled of band-aids and we really couldn't taste much fruit. Unfortunately brett had gotten the best of this bottle, and I am generally pretty tolerant of brett. They were very nice about replacing this with something else, although I suspect the sommelier thought it was just the" character" of the wine.
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Let's Open Some Wines From 2002 (Palena - Washington, DC): The best showing of this wine thus far. This had billowing aromatics of tobacco, green pepper, red fruit, and roses. Palate was deep and fleshy with a lot of complex tobacco and dark fruit woven together. This can live a long time, and is also drinking beautifully right now.
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There's some barnyard here, but it's attractive, and super elegant chalky red fruits. Lots of gravelly, graphitey notes. Wide open but beautifully balanced and with many years ahead, this is still on the young side of its evolution.
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This 2002 drank both relatively mature and very lively, a great combination. After an hour in the decanter, the initially stinky scent seemed almost to have been absorbed back into the wine, lingering pleasantly in the background. At that point, the wine tasted sweetly brambly and was very aromatic, a bouquet of flowers. Satiny texture. The wine developed to taste more savory with a woodsy smell. By the end, there was a liqueur-like quality to it that I loved.
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Funk, red fruit (red currants), and herbs (sage). Silky, medium-bodied frame with plentiful fine tannin and plenty of acid, into a medium-length sour, red currant finish.
It is very well made, but I just don't get this wine, and it is not for lack of trying. Take an earthy cab franc, a green cab franc, and a clean fruity cab franc, and mix them all together. Not integrated, but literally like three very different bottles blended together, yielding very little harmony.
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Opened for an hour. This wine develops over the course of an evening.
Concentrated ruby center, pale around the edges. The slightest bricking, no sediment and quite clear. On the nose, barnyard funk, metallic, undercurrent of bell pepper, olive; waning soft, powdery tannins, with medium plus acidity, yet quite soft; in mouth, earth, mushroom, light green pepper, softened cherry, some funk; medium finish, pleasantly light on the tongue with good acidity and metallic-cherry notes.
Hitting a plateau? Drink or hold for a few more years. So ready to drink now.
On day two: This is even more excellent. I drank half the first night, Vacuvin'd the other half, and stuck it in the wine fridge. Not at all dissipated. Cherry picks up a nice tartness to it and the barnyard note is moderately stronger. Quite savory. Just fantastic stuff.
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I'm generally a big fan of Raffault's older Chinons, but this vintage quite didn't satisfy my expectations. It wasn't funky enough and it was too green. Maybe this wine needs few more years in the bottle but unless I come across one many years from now will probably shy away from it.
Changed rating from 84 to 87 because the wine improved significantly on the second day and still was alive on the third day! This wine needs many more years in the bottle.
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The tannins have smoothed, good amount of acidity still present. The fruit seemed to be fading, but replaced with nice forest floor, mushrooms and earth after the rain. Light on its feet. Drinking well now; not sure will improve from here but will try another in a few years to see.
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Slow decant for two hours after opening, consumed over two nights. A bit of stink on the nose, which I enjoy. Medium weight with good acidity and abundant tannins. Red cherry fruit, some earth, a little green pepper. Quite enjoyable.
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In the lexicon of the day, OMG. This is a delightful surprise of a wine, bright red fruit with flavors of tart, overripe cherries and strawberries but with sufficient acidity to carry the fruit into the finish. A fair bit of green vegetable initially, asparagus more than green pepper. The dustiest nose and mouth of any wine ever tasted - calls to mind dried leaves in the fall. Nuanced and layered and a lengthy captivating finish to just close your eyes and savor. Beautiful wine. We drank it with roasted chicken and the pairing was perfect.
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Tasty little wine, nothing fancy, but certainly no flaws and no craziness. Just a solid, food-friendly red. Drinking very well right now, unlikely to improve from here I think.
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Defines relaxed winter drinking with a great roasted chicken or pot au feu. Raffault has fantastic older releases and this is quite different from the delicious but not- for- everybody 1990 or 1985,which have great extract with hay, briar, medium red cherry and that Cabernet franc old "wrong side of the barnyard" scent and flavors. The 2002 drinks right out of the bottle and is smooth and a more bright cherry led stable smokey flavor. Light but rich in its own way-- less complex than its older,great vintage brethren, but a terrific QPR and smooth bottle.
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This was our 4th bottle but my first TN for the 2002 Raffault Les Picasses. It was allowed to slo-ox for 5 hours and then decanted 30 minutes before serving. In the glass, it had a lovely medium density ruby robe with just a touch of browning at the rim. While a bit reticent at first pour, it gained in intensity throughout our meal. Suggestions of blackberry and ripe Damson plum played second fiddle to loam, savory herbs, fall leaves, dark roast coffee beans, tobacco, and a noticeable but unobtrusive green pepper component. I also found an unusual floral component to the aromatics that I was unable to associate with anything specific. There was a firm medium weight, excellent balance, and lovely smooth finish here that was imminently pleasing. In character, it is neither bashful or boastful, but rather a charming, poised, "feminine" dinner companion. It seemed more evolved than the 2005 we opened a few weeks ago and more reminiscent of the 1990 as I remember it from last year. While it is clearly in a nice place now and should hold well for another 10+ years, it poses no serious challenge to the 1989 as my favorite Les Picasses.
UPDATE: 2/11/2014 Decanted for only 20 minutes leaving a modest sediment. It was served with a hearty stew of porcini & cremini mushrooms, barley, carrots-celery-onions, and Umbrian lentils. Oh my, this bottle was just superb; even more so than the last bottle in Dec. 2013.
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Good comments about "autumnal" below - this wine certainly fits. Dried leaves, earth, a restrained dry warmth just like a sunny day now, at 12.5% stated alcohol it still manages to make the lips a little numb. Smooth, smooth tannins. I wish I had a bottle of this for every month of my life.
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John Gilman gave this a 93 - I must have a different wine, because this was nice, fine ... But not anywhere in the league of 93 points. It is showing earthiness on the nose and the palate, but there is scant intensity to the wine. It is decent but not exciting.
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Such a lovely autumnal wine, with its combination of earthy, peaty, and smokey aromas. On the palate, it came across as lightweight but lithe, herbal, and energetic. Just beautiful, unmistakeable Chinon.
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Good bit of bottle variation, compared with yesterday's. Less vegetal, acidity in better balance, some nice cocoa and coffee aspects on the palate and through the finish.
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obviously a well made bottle, but not my style. floral nose with some underbrush. dry, spicy, red fruit, with green herbal elements. thin to medium bodied.
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I thought this was singing tonight even after a short decant. A lot of Loire funk on the nose, but a very smooth juicy palate which offered a nice mix of black fruits with notes of typical cab franc green elements. Great with food and tasty on its own.
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So fun. Very consistent with others' positive feedback below. Lovely, light berry nose. Fresh, dark red fruit on the palate. Great acidity - this paired really well with homemade paella. Eager to drink more of it, though there appears no rush to do so!
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A bit to mellow for my taste. It does have sense of place but I don't know if that's a good thing. It's just too mellow. I've always thought of cab franc as a blending grape and this certainly confirms it. There's some elegance but it lacks some grip and maybe I shouldn't have had a few Burgundies the night before. That kind of outshined this bottle. I won't give up on Chinon but this wasn't much incentive to keep trying. Hopefully, I got an off-bottle.
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Smells good - green roots, pungent black pepper, tobacco, earth, nice depth to it that suggests the age. Tart cherry juice, underbrush and stony earth on the palate, with bitterness becoming noticeable after a second or two and continuing to grow. Tasty fairly long finish of tart fruit and green, sappy herbal bitterness, all smoothed out by a bit of brown sugar/molasses, nice aged character. Plenty of acidity. Full of character and quite enjoyable!
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Blind Wines at Tim's (Tim's House - Chicago, IL): Lots of tilled soil, mushroom, green pepper and red fruits on the nose. The palate was cool, energetic and silky. Great red fruit, nice earthy notes with lots of crushed stones. Great stuff as usual.
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Earthy, musty nose reminiscent of a Chateauneuf but just a little more floral deep in the nostrils. Oakey and luscious on the palette, with spice and blackberry notes that show on the back of the tongue and linger through a soft but complex finish. At ten years old, this is drinking well now but the tannic structure is there to evolve even further.
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Shabbat (Coventry, CT): Very young, quite fruit-forward with dark cherry dominating over the spice and herbal elements. I know others who love this wine, but I still see the fruit and herbal elements not getting along quite yet.
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Casual Friday night drinks (Coventry, CT): I'm amazed by just how youthful this wine seems ten years past vintage. The fruit's still incredibly fresh and vibrant, pure red berried fruit with a seasoning of high toned spicy, herbal and leafy flavours. There's just a touch of development noticeable with some leathery elements emerging with air, but this still seems very young and a wine to really wait on.
Grand Sichuan NYC (quick notes): Showed as very young and primary despite its ten years, though some of that could have been the company of older Bordeaux.
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Mmm, lovely; a combination of rich red and dark fruited flavours, savoury earthiness and higher toned spicy, tobacco and herbaceous flavours on a polished, medium weight frame. This still feels incredibly youthful and seems to have years ahead of it, but it's a wonderful combination with the lamb with green pepper.
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This is the wine that sold me on the whole Biodynamic calendar idea. This was a really lovely wine that was very reluctant to show itself. Notes of cedar, smoke, a deep and really pretty licorice, and dry leaves beneath a classic Chinon berry-ish profile. Light to medium bodied with soft tannins, I still think Chinon is one of my favorite wines. At 10+ years old, this wine tasted incredibly youthful and felt like it would live forever. We opened the bottle on a 'root day', and after an hour and a half of decanting, it was still very primary. Around 10pm it became a "leaf day" and the leafier, licorice flavors started to sneak out (after almost 3 hours of decanting). I want to try this wine again under more favorable (lunar?) circumstances and see if it makes any difference. Also, I'm going to open this the night before I drink it--as with so many really natural wines, I get the sense that this could live forever and would only improve from being open at least 24 hours. Nonetheless, it was a really enjoyable wine and really pleasurable.
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Nice intensity of aromas. Predominantely tertiary, animal notes. Leather, tobacco, cedar and a bit of vegetal notes typical of Cab. Franc. Nice structure, showing very well right now on the palate. Mostly tertiary as well but some red fruits on the background. Good medium+ finish
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Opened two hours in advance. Deep rich berry aromas. Complex, earthy flavors with notes of red fruit and that slight vegetal streak which keeps these wines affordable for those of us that like that sort of thing. Lots of sage and other spices in the full finish. Delicate, but with some decidedly sharp edges.
When first opened this still tasted raw and closed, only now is it really starting to blossom. Outstanding now, it appears to have many, many years left.
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Celebrating Bob's birthday (Maude's Liquor Bar, Chicago IL): nose: wafting and pretty aromatics with tones of red fruits, berries, spices, leather, and freshly picked roses. Very good balance with some nice depth as well. Aromatic with a femininity to it as well.
taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and nice firm tannins as well. Balanced with a real nice elegant take to it and tones of red fruits, berries, spices and some floral tones as well.
overall: This was a real lovely chinon. It still has a ways to go, but it's well in balance right now and has some polish to it too.
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Bob's Birthday Dinner (Maude's Liquor Bar - Chicago, IL): Awesome stuff. Had great dusty red fruit mixed with underbrush and herbal tones. Palate had great acidity and a mouthfeel that had plush flavors with an airy character.
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There is much more fruit here compared to the 1986 enjoyed with Asher at The National - obviously. The fruit is dark, bitter, almost austere but very firm and juicy. There is lovely, complex flavors of farm, tobacco and tar. There is an excellent balance between the fruit, acidity and tannins here, this is a great Chinon. With Finn in PA for soccer tournament with our boys.
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Delivered as always. Deep, dark black berry flavors and loaded with tobacco, tar, green bell pepper and aromas of barnyard. Chinon all the way through and proof once again why Olga Raffault is often referred to as the "Queen of the Barnyard". Highly recommended.
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Wonderful wine. Dark, translucent garnet color. Beautiful notes of graphite, charcoal, raspberry, and a slight green vegetal quality. Broad acidic structure frames focused layers of graphite and raspberry with secondary notes of blueberry, ash, peppercorn, green pepper, and spice. Awesome. Finish is long with loads of ash and blueberry and chalky yet smooth tannins.
This is really a great, complex wine. It won't please everyone, but for those who love a wine with interest, this is it. My only criticism is that it feels just a little thin in weight. It's just shy of mid-bodied and the lack of viscosity is a little disappointing.
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Atlanta offline at Kevin Rathbun's Steak (Kevin Rathbun's Steak): PnP. Dark garnet ruby core, no sign of age. Still rather primary, with a rustic but noble profile of dark red and black fruits, graphite, black peppercorns, and campfire ashes. A beam of acidity manages to keep it fresh and inviting, and the formidable tannins are perhaps in the middle of their mellowing, but really, this wine has several really fun years ahead of it. I wish I had a case. Honest, a bit dirty in a way, but delivers a great sense of place and a touch of savory on the extended finish. Drink thru 2023
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An all-around very well made wine. Looks like a nicely-aged red Burgundy, translucent dark ruby color with a little bricking. Interesting restrained fruits and spice on the nose, excellent balance on the palate, a wine that really draws you in, red and dark fruits, and again with the spices, nice dry finish leaves you wanting another glass.
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Ruby color with orange rim. Nose: black cherry, ripe strawberry, and black plum fruit with accents of clove, anise, balsamic vinegar, chalk, peppercorn, and charred bell pepper. Medium body on the palate: high-toned plum, black cherry, and black raspberry fruit framed by clove, tobacco, anise, chalk, bell pepper, and a hint of bay leaf. Aggressive acidity. Moderate rustic mouth-coating tannins. Lingering plum skin, tobacco, chalk, and bay leaf on the long dry finish. Impressive combination of intensity, rustic complexity, and graceful structure. Still has a good 3-5 years left to fully unwind/develop. Beautifully made.
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Bizarre nose of soil, ashtray, green peppercorn, carob, curry powder, and cigarette tobacco. On the palate, deficient in fruit with mushroom and charred meat on top of a stale cigar note. Improved with air to the point where some currant was apparent but this was too rustic and bitter to really enjoy.
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Very nice aged chinon. Smooth, slight orange hue, chalky Cabernet franc missing the umph to be remarkable but nonetheless perfect with charcuterie or pâté. Lovely.
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really starting to develop into something spectacular. Nose that is starting to give more earth and nuanced fruit and herb notes. Not too much color change from rim to middle. Still has plenty of longevity but seems to be in the second phase of its trajectory.
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I was surprised how tight this was - took about 5 hours to really open up. Had nice leather, dried tobacco, red fruit and dried leaves on the palate. Really great wine and I really do think that I'm moving over to prefer Olga Raffault's wine to Bernard Baudry. If you consider the price, it's no contest.
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Enjoyed this very much. Some green pepper/herbyness, but all integrated very well and with a nicely resolved structure. Quite classical. Extremely pleasant drinking.
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Judging by the comments left here it seems the 02 Picasses is starting to mellow considerably: all the bell pepper, tobacco, and funkiness have been sublimated. The texture is smooth, with just enough structuring tannin, yet there's also a wateriness that's quite welcome, for the wine is refreshing even on a warm night. The fruit and the attack seem quite primary yet and it seems to me this hasn't yet hit its plateau.
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Drinking beautifully right now. A core of rich cassis and red fruited flavours accented with meaty funk, a touch of green pepper and developing leathery and forestal notes. Conveys a sense of rusticity and polish at the same time, beautifully balanced and I wish I had more of this.
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Sandalwood and green herbs, but not at all weedy. Some slight cinnamon on the finish. With leftovers of chicken Parmesan (by LMcDS) and salad. This is a good pairing. Something rustic with a rustic dish. As BB, DD, PM and I decompress on day 3 following loss of family. Recommended.
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Really lovely wine combining plenty of bright red and dark fruited flavours and tobacco leaves with the start of developing leathery and earthy elements in an elegant package with gentle tannins and really good presence and length with barely any sense of weight.
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Beautiful and elegant nose. Cassis leaf, violets with some red fruits. Balanced, med body with high acidity, nice violet on the palate. The finish is slightly green. Austere but a pleasure to drink.
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Some funk on opening that diminshed over an hour but did not disapear. Lighter in color than I expected. Underneath funk were smooth tannins, not much fruit or complexity. Easy drinking wine.
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My (SMB) favorite wine. Recommended by sommelier at Farmhouse in Russian River Valley almost three years ago. Hasn't disappointed yet; delighted still by bottle opened this week.
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Drinking beautifully right now, this is classic chinon in all its funky, herbal, black-fruited glory. Complex and very satsifying, with ample structure to continue to improve. Really enjoyed this bottle
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Garnet color with a clear hue. The nose has green pepper, red fruit and a nice funk that grows with air though doesn't overpower the other elements. The palate has a nice texture: smooth and caressing, medium bodied, but with good structure. Maybe just slightly on the thin side. Capsicum, some darker fruit - blackberry, maybe - on the palate, but fruit is not the point of this wine. Medium-length finish, nothing spectacular. I rather liked this bottle. It was much better than a previous bottle a few months ago.
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Barnyard, iron, fresh green pepper, tart plum on the nose. Earthy, smooth but forceful tannins, tobacco, dark cherry fruit, long mineral finish. Unique and wonderfully complex. Drinking better than ever.
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Ruby color; No score as I wasn't sure what to make of this wine. It had a good core of fruit and a mineral streak underlying wild green pepper notes. It even smelled a bit like a fresh jalepeno pepper at one point. Poor balance with wacky acids and tannins. Strangely I liked it. Steffen, good luck with this one. Open another for me in 10.
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Dinner Chez Rob & Lauryl: This wine is still so tannic and acidic that it was a shock to drink after the wines before it. Just massive structure despite low extraction. Has the funk that Olga Raffault is famous for. As with most of her Chinons, this is a finesse wine that has some serious green bell pepper and vegetable notes, so those who can't tolerate that will hate this wine. I predict this will be an amazing bottle of wine in 10 more years. Really not a wine to consume right now. The rest of my bottles go to the long term underground storage.
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Ruby/orange in color. This bottle was a very slight leaker. Cranberry and light red fruits mixed with earth and herbs on the palate. Light+ body, with a fantastic tannic structure on this, but not overwhelming. High acid, but in balance. The prefect food wine? Opened up after half and hour. Really good stuff. Gained a little depth. Tasty stuff. I've you got 'em, I'd pop a bottle open.
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Medium red with a brick orange tint. Herbal green scents on the nose with a little barnyard behind it. Bell peppers and black pepper with a thin red berry element. Overall a bit on the thin side.
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Opened and double decanted after 1hr. Blackish color with good viscosity. Classic herbally -tar/smoke/blackberry/rasberry nose of Cab Franc. On the palate, ripe blackberry/rasberry with some tar. Very well balanced and excellent with roast chicken. Somewhat lean on that palate which is what you would expect for a "classic" year 2002. Moderately long finish with lingering tannins. Could age another 5 years but why wait. Will drink my remaining ones over the next 2-3 years.
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Close in style to the Baudry but maybe a little more austere and less extraction, even in a great vintage such as 2002. A lot of smoky tobacco and green pepper notes along with red fruits. Med body, fresh acidity, it needs food. Very enjoyable.
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Zach brought this highly recommended bottle for us to try. Very different wine, evocative of strange chemical tones. Only red I’ve encountered which had an overwhelming nose of chile relleno-esque Mexican spiced, cooked green bell pepper. A bit of musk and barnyard funk lurking beneath. Laundry detergent tones at times in the back. Hard to get past the cooked vegetable tone, even with patience. We didn’t finish the bottle. Jane didn’t care for it. Fun deciphering the complex strangeness.
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Comparing this wine to many of the 2005 vintage Loire Valley Cab Francs I've tasted recently is a case of apples and oranges. There's a world of difference between 2002 and 2005. This seems mature: ruby-garnet instead of purple, no in-your-face aromas or stank. It's much subtler on the palate, too, and offers an overall experience of rather reticent raspberries, a touch of woodsiness (not wood), and some earth. Very 'autumnal' if that makes any sense. Seems to have a peacock's tail of a finish, opening up a lot after it's swallowed. No bells or whistles here, just real quality.
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a bit disapointing.lighter than I was expecting.lacks concnetration, structure and intensity of a typical chinon.A bit too thin.vegetal and red berries on the nose.on the palate, it is light bodied, earthy with a decent finish.
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Flavor profile is the same as the last bottle, except this one was ready to drink right out of the gate. Tobacco notes, with a hint of rhubarb and cherry. Very smooth. A good match with Korean-style beef ribs and a screaming deal at $16.
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Color is light ruby, turning pale at the rim, still appears fairly youthful. The nose is very pretty, dominated by classic vegetal scents of celery stick, green tobacco, fire-roasted peppers, as well as aromatics of fresh alpine strawberry and macerated cherries. In the mouth it tastes of strawberry and other red berry fruit, with an almost floral component and wonderful, juicy acidity. There is also a savory taste reminiscent of a beef roast with a touch of steak sauce, and a lingering flavor of cracked green peppercorns. A very attractive and delicious Chinon that i suspect would pair wonderfully with steak. For me this wine is close to being in the pocket for prime drinking; some leftovers were considerably softer and less focused a couple of days later.
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Drinking better than last year...smoky plums, bell peppers, hint of tomato, leather, orange peel on the nose. Tart and bitter with an herbaceous complexity, a fine vermouth-y quality, peppery tangy smokey plum, raspberry...earthy and mineral finish. Lots of fun!
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Tasty Chinon and a great QPR. A much more balanced wine as it matures. Leather, earthy and red fruit on the nose. Ruby garnet in color and showing signs of age at the rim. On the palate a good bit of red fruit - raspberry, strawberry - and some musky flavors. A medium finish on the medium bodied wine.
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Ordered this off a terrific wine list at Le Pigeon. At $36 an almost unmatchable restaurant deal. Flavors and aromas seemed right down the middle of the plate for a 2002 Chinon. Not showing many secondary notes at this point and it started off quite austere, even against a rich and sweetish terrine of beef neck. Fleshed out nicely with an hour of air and by the time we were on the cheese course it was really singing. Not remotely as opulent as the 2002 Breton Les Picasses, but quite a nice wine.
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This wine started off thin and uninteresting but picked up some serious cajones after about 30 minutes in the glass. Has less smokiness but more fruit than most Chinons I've tasted. I wish I had some food to pair with this b/c I have a feeling it would be spectacular.
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Better with some more time in the bottle. Initially leathery and musky aromas, but gives way to sweet red and black fruits, with a medium bodied texture and an earthy lingering finish. Well balanced - excellent. At $17, a great value.
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Lucky strike off the wine list at Ouest in NYC. Fruity, soft, fairly light but some tannins. Eminently drinkable. What I was hoping for by ordering a Chinon somewhat at random. I don't know what this retails for but at $36 in a restaurant I'm sure it beat many of its higher priced peers on the wine list.
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This wine is so much better with food. Enjoyed with sardinian fish soup. bright acidity and fresh reb berry flavors, light to medium bodied, some earthiness.
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Hmmm, I liked it much more than the others did, and maybe it just needed more time in the bottle. Great nose of barnyard and fresh red and black fruit, some herbal character too. Juicy palate of ripe fruit, graphite, some vegetal-ness, some herbs. a fresh tasting wine with good balancing acidity. Went great with braised lamb and carrots. A very good value too.
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Light-bodied, tart and bitter cab franc, dry mineral finish, fruit came out with some time in the glass. Dougsmith's note below described it well, I liked it.
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Light to medium ruby with an orange tinge to the rim. The nose is quite vegetal with notes of pepper spice, tomato and green pepper. On the palate it is relatively thin on taste with high acidity, a short finish and a slight bitter aftertaste. This is clearly much better on the nose than the palate. It goes decently well with tomato-based sauces and food.
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4/27/2024 - Rich S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Everything you look for in an aged cabernet franc. Medium garnet color. Showed some definite green pepper and earthy forest floor notes on the nose with a bit of plum and black cherry but definitely more savory than fruit driven. On the palate however the fruit still comes through along with medium+ acidity and a slightly spicy but smooth finish. Pretty good length on the finish as well. Really enjoyed it.
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1/29/2024 - melzar wrote: 91 Points
Aged Cab Franc. Vegetal notes on nose and palate let you know what this varietal is. Transparent red in the glass. Tannin is tamed , but time has taken away most of the fruit. Smooth, elegant, and well balanced, but I prefer the vibrancy of youth.
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9/30/2023 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Tasting at Maine Cabin: Complex aromas of green and black olives, with roasted red pepper, black pepper, tobacco, tones of leather, mushroom glaze. The palate shows dusty tannins and lively acidity, with flavors of red cherries, raspberries, red currants, laced with saucy, savory, brothy tones. A lot going on, such an elegant mouthfeel. Loving how expressive and vibrant and spicy this wine showed.
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5/8/2023 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smells of fresh earth and green leaves - like a greenhouse with some tobacco and graphite thrown in. Not a lot of fruit left, and a lot less bell pepper than others have commented on. But the texture is out of this world: light and fresh.
Score: 91. Relative to expectations: ++
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12/10/2022 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
A very good bottle that was flavorful and intricate. Lighter bodied and my only quibble was pronounced acidity that threw the balance off.
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5/15/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nice wine. A bit linear and somewhat narrow on the palate. Has a nice nose of tobacco leaf. Nice length on the finish too, despite the rather lean fruit on the palate. Crunchy bright acidity.
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4/7/2022 - djpo wrote: 82 Points
Interesting on day 1 with a well aged flavor accented by (good) barnyard notes. No fruit on day 2. Drink now.
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12/30/2021 - gordoyflaca Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not fruity, but pure and true
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12/25/2021 - winchester-xi Likes this wine:
Very much alive and kicking, but eligible for reduced-price bus fare.
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12/13/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Very nice. Fully mature and soft. Probably on the downside. Drink before long.
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11/12/2021 - diggydan wrote: 93 Points
Nicely mature wine. Green bell pepper and tobacco nose. Red berry and green leaves, good acidity and still a little structural tannin. Finishes with some bitter woody herbal flavors.
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8/24/2021 - pryby Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bottle #2 of the case about 5 years after the first. Tannins are fully resolved. The wine is lighter in color and weight than before. More herbal and vegetal than the last one - no fruit to speak of. I’m not getting meaty or leather tertiary type notes with this bottle. Maybe this will come with time.
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5/29/2021 - bags wrote:
this bottle was a touch flat, until I fully decanted the sediment. Much better, but I may have messed it up by being lazy initially.
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5/13/2020 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
Sadness. Last bottle of a case. I adore this wine, second only to the 1989. Classic old Chinon nose - dusty, musty, leather and green pepper. So captivating. Light-bodied, fruit starting to fade leaving tame fine tannins. Earthy. Dusty cherry. The green pepper from the nose is in the mouth as well. Lengthy finish - wonderfully balanced tannin and acid, with lingering mustiness. Dusty green pepper gets the last word. This is great stuff. Sadness, but memories of time and pleasure.
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4/17/2020 - ccn wrote: 88 Points
Over two days. Mature and balanced but not very interesting.
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9/17/2019 - MRichman wrote:
Really nice, great depth & complexit. In a great place, drink now or keep holding.
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4/20/2019 - soyhead wrote:
nose - strong aroma of bell pepper, slightly farty. pyrazine promenade.
mouth - great red fruit spectrum, bitter plum, clean with good minerality. nicely evolved and impressively in its prime.
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1/21/2019 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
Great showing. Expressive nose of gently stewed dark fruit, wet earth, pencil lead, bell pepper. The nose is alluring and really just lovely, if you enjoy the Loire red framework of funky nose. On the palate this wine is gentle and balanced and silky and really an expressive and delicious wine. The flavors mirror the nose, and really resonate in the mouth and nose. This bottle feels mature, although there is lots of room left to grow. But it's no longer a primary wine. Really good wine.
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1/9/2019 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Cab Francs that are ready for a Bar-Mitvah (and older) (Chez Simo Bistro, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose showed off excellent depth and elegance with tobacco notes, red cherries, cranberries, herbs, roses, vanilla beans, and leather tones.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The tannins are a little chalky but the feel is refined with tobacco notes, red cherries, cranberries, herbs, roses, and leather tones.
Overall: This was an original bottle and it was drinking beautifully. This felt extremely youthful compared to the 85, but it too showed off a sense of refinement and excellent depth. The only thing this lacked was that next gear of layering and upper aromatics, but it is an outstanding wine that is extremely enjoyable.
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12/6/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Etto: Tasted blind, guessed the producer and wine but thought it was an older vintage. Loving the nose: pepper, herbs, jerky, bell pepper, leather, all on top of black cherries. Nice grip to the tannins, bright acidity, lovely depth but also lots of freshness. Earthy, savory, dusty, smoky, barbecue pit, on top of black cherry goodness. Gorgeous but lots of time ahead.
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10/12/2018 - Louvin wrote: 94 Points
similar to last tasting several years ago, stellar. Deeply flavorful wine with excellent balance of fruit and acid.
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9/17/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Electric ruby color. Austere old-school nose that pops with rustic red fruits, green pepper, and dried pine needles. The palate sparkles with ripe fruit and slightly elevated acid. A wine that calls for the dinner table. Medium bodied, traditional well-made wine. Really nice sweetness emerges with marries nicely with the herbal, green peppercorn elements after 45 minutes in the decanter. As good a Chinon as I can remember tasting. (92)
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9/10/2018 - MRichman wrote:
Very nice. Drinking well. Lots of dark fruit, espresso.
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7/19/2017 - JonnyG wrote: flawed
Loire Night (Bear and Star, Los Olivos, CA): Mega-barnyard. The brett masked the muted notes of kirsch, pepper and herbs.
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7/3/2017 - tdelorme wrote:
Still a lot of upside -- don't think this is close to it's prime drinking window, expect it needs another 5-7 years. Dusty cherry, cigar box and just a touch of barnyard funk on the nose. Red fruit, green pepper, some stems, earth, a little spice and vegetal notes on the palate. Classic Loire Cab Franc -- and a very nice pairing with lamb shanks. Don't revisit until after 2020.
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2/20/2017 - melzar wrote: 91 Points
Nice red from the Loire. Vegetal notes on the nose and palate may be off putting to some, but this is Cabernet Franc. If you don't like it, this is not your red varietal! The Loire and the Finger Lakes of upstate New York are your best bets if you love this varietal in it's pure form. I like this wine a lot from nose to finish.
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2/2/2017 - EhrlichDY wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. One of the rare occasions where the palate completely outperforms the nose. Very reticent nose not giving much at all. Gorgeous resolved palate with seamless texture and secondary earthy flavors. Still retaining notes of dried fruit as well. I'd say to drink these up as it seems to me that this wine is at peak or on a slow decent.
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1/29/2017 - ericindc wrote: 92 Points
Really nice place right now with alot of upside down the years. Great red fruits on nose with classic hints of earth and jalapeno. Mostly primary red fruits, but hinting at middle age maturity with some light earth. Medium body, good structural tannins, and solid acidity. Good now with about 1+hr air. Better in a couple years.
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12/31/2016 - Rich S Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit funky upon opening but with a little air showed a mixture of barnyard, mushroom, pomegranate and green veggies. Similar flavors on the palate with a nice mix of fruit and earth. Medium+ acid, medium tannin and body. More mature on the nose than the palate, this wine has plenty of life left. Will let my remaining bottle sit for another couple of years.
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12/31/2016 - VDLT Wine wrote:
Shows occasional glimpses of why I enjoy this cuvée but this bottle seemed unstabilized by brett. Combining with some stemmy flavors, it made me think TCA - but no. Each glass a bit different and a nice pair with leg of lamb. Just not a great bottle.
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11/22/2016 - Janstan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initial Earthiness gives way to a well knotted delightful medium bodied wine.
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11/11/2016 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Went well with tenderloin. Cigar box, leather, very earthy.
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10/19/2016 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
I cannot keep my hands off this wine. Opened it for a friend to show him slightly-aged Chinon from a really good producer. The nose is really all you need - it is dusty and leather. The green pepper is muted - more in this bottle than any of my prior bottles - but still present. On the initial attack the wine has a bit of sour feeling - tightly but only briefly tannic - and the finish is medium long with the acid coming into play at that point. The fruit is pie cherry but barely there - the wine is so masculine and so earthy which, for me, is perfect.
I have had several vintages of this wine and this is the second best - behind only 1989 and I think this might eclipse that one when it's close to the same age. The nose is leathery and dusty with a bit of green pepper. Just keep the nose in the glass for awhile - it's fantastic. Parallels with 20-year-old Right Bank Bordeaux, without the assertiveness. Light-bodied, vivid red fruit, a finish that carries tart cherry and, again, green pepper. The tannins became more prominent after three hours than when first opened but even those are fine-grained and compelling. On the finish, the tannins fade quickly and it ends with acidity that bathes the mouth. This wine is fantastic though I suppose it will be a little polarizing - the masculinity, cigar box, dusty leather nature of it might be off-putting to some. If so - send me the rest of yours!
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10/14/2016 - ohne_musik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very nicely, but could easily see a few more years in bottle. Decanted, surprisingly little sediment. Nose is sophisticated, old leather, tobacco, masculine. A bit of barnyard that blew off after half an hour. Palate is more of the same, clearly cab franc, acidic and lean at first, but filling out with fleshy tannins, and undertones of dark bramble fruits, and a hint of mint.
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10/1/2016 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite nice. Red fruited, spicy and herbal, with a clean crisp/crunchiness to the palate. Solid food wine.
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8/13/2016 - retired_and_roving wrote:
Olga Raffault Les Picasses - Past & Present Tasting (New York, NY): Decanted for one hour prior to serving. Color was ruby red. On the nose red fruit and some bell pepper. On the palate youthful and fresh but did not leave a significant impression. Enjoyable to drink but not nearly as complex as the older wines.
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8/7/2016 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
I have had several vintages of this wine and this is the second best - behind only 1989 and I think this might eclipse that one when it's close to the same age. The nose is leathery and dusty with a bit of green pepper. Light-bodied, vivid red fruit, a finish that carries tart cherry and, again, green pepper. The tannins became more prominent after three hours than when first opened but even those are fine-grained and compelling.
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5/31/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Deep brick color. Distinct forest and herb nose but plenty of fruit for me. Maybe some cinnamon as well. Surprised so many find this austere but hey, different strokes...Palate is perfectly resolved with a bit of leather on the finish. Old world for sure, and I like it. (91)
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5/28/2016 - JJKinch wrote: 91 Points
Red fruit, strong pepper, herb, slight funk. Needs some time. But really enjoyable. Good acidity.
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4/21/2016 - tcavallo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cherry, tobacco, and funk, not much greenness on the nose. Bright cherry, gooseberry, and balanced acidity on the palate. A long mineral finish tinged with a little bitterness at the very end that was tempered by the food (pepperoni pizza, favorite Chinon pairing).
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2/26/2016 - straight outta iowa Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have had this several times in the past couple of years, and they have been remarkably consistent. Consistently delicious IMHO. Last time I opened it blind with a pretty serious wine group at Bobo in NYC, and the bottle was very polarizing. The hardcore burg folks were not fans. It comes down to whether you like that special cab franc funk. Barnyard. Bell pepper. I happen to love it; moreover, it is a tremendous value and a very versatile food wine. This is in a great spot now, where I would expect it to remain for some time. FWIW, 1990 is drinking beautifully right now as well.
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1/28/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Loire Reds (and 4 vintages of Olga Raffault) (Jeff K's): My WOTN. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has raspberries, green tobacco and slight cigar box dustiness notes. On the palate, juicy acidity. Plenty or black raspberry fruit. Not overdone though. Some forest floor notes too. Nice texture. Great balance. This is developing nicely but should continue to gain complexity. Still out there for under $30, this is a great value in today's wine world.
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1/7/2016 - Gargantua wrote:
This bottle is unbelievably more taut and closed than the last, but then that might make sense as these bottles are part of a recently arrived new library release shipment from the Raffault cellar via Bowler, and clearly these have not been pushed forward in time through brief moments of improper aging. The last bottle I had tried was in a friend's cellar for about 5 years...and unclear how long it had been on a shelf in a shop. Stil great, though; just less crystalline and expressive strawberry fruit.
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1/2/2016 - pryby wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Meaty, leather, red bell pepper, still good tannin and red fruit. First bottle of a case. Excited to watch this develop over another 20 years or so :)
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12/24/2015 - Louvin Likes this wine: 94 Points
decanted one hour, while I've had several of these, this one was far and away so different, deep and dark, smokey, tobacco box, leather, for me just wonderful. A little of the green tobacco leaf but less than I usually find. Red fruit element was minimal but the overall character of the wine is like a men's club setting, sitting in leather chairs with people smoking cigars in the distance. Hope the remaining are like this, my wife does not.
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12/14/2015 - Louvin Likes this wine: 90 Points
open an hour, more herbal than fruitful, soft and well balanced, good acid but leaves a bit to be desired in fruit component. Correct notes of green tobacco leaf and spices. Actually prefer the Taluau from '89. Hopefully will develop over time.
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11/29/2015 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is outstanding. The 2007 Cab Franc Classic to buy boxes and drink in the next 20 years. 2006 more restrained of them. 2002 das extremely elegant. The acidity of the three vintage is amazing
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11/26/2015 - nortonnose wrote: 92 Points
Still terrific. Lovely, light berry nose. Fresh, dark red fruit on the palate. Great acidity - this paired really well with Thanksgiving Dinner - yay!
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11/8/2015 - LW31 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really lovely. Pure, fresh and lively. Not as herbal and sharp as this can be. Great minerality. A bit of grip still there but ready to drink and suits classic dishes well. Drink now and for next 5 years for maximum pleasure I think.
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11/2/2015 - rlove wrote: 91 Points
Ruby in color, showing little age. Bretty notes—more horse and saddle than barnyard—never diminish but integrate with air, giving way to a nose of green pepper, liquorice, and subtle cherry. Earthy and dark on the palate. The finish is both persistent and intense. This will drink nicely for 10+ more years.
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10/18/2015 - WMWG wrote: 92 Points
The nose on this is outstanding; complex and deep showing green (but not vegetal) notes, tobacco, leather, ash and an old world earthiness that are well integrated with plummy dark fruit. On the palate this is balanced and even from entry through finish, showing red fruit mixed with tobacco leaf and ashy earthy notes. This did feature a rather course, grainy mouthfeel over the two days it was consumed and also showed an unwavering dose of brett. Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable bottle.
Very Good - drink or hold
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8/20/2015 - Gargantua Likes this wine:
What a difference 7 years make.... Tasted alongside the 2002 Roches Neuves Marginale. The Marginale feels blocky; nose is full of vinyl and graphite, but it seems square and encumbered by comparison to the Raffault's lively, sprite strawberry aroma which pierces an earthy asphalt aroma and thankfully seems to precede the requisite earthy green bell pepper, rendering it fresh, lively, and light. At first the Germain had no bite on the finish, and the Raffault did; then after an hour, the inverse; then once again they traded positions towards the end of dinner. Somewhat chameleon-like but the great lightness of the Raffault won the day with its juicy black pepper and bell pepper and a bit of that paper towel cardboard tube smell that young, tannic Grenache can show as well. We agreed this was a particularly stellar bottle!
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7/21/2015 - geeky? not sure wrote:
Slightly distracting amount of brett (though not way overdone) for the first hour or so. Blew off a bit after that. Classic chinon. Not the best showing for this wine, but definitely nice.
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6/17/2015 - JPH104 wrote:
Classic chinon. Green pepper, black pepper dominate the nose. Fruit almost non-existent. Lighter-weight. Earthy and tobacco notes linger on the finish.
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3/15/2015 - poptart_mcstrudel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Earth, mushroom, dirt, pepper, barn yard.
Dark fruit, cherry, black cherry, prunes, earth. Great finish, round tannins and acid.
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3/5/2015 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Loire Cab Franc Tasting: Lovely brothy nose with herbay ripe cherry and hints of tobacco and earth, but with a seamless integration the younger wines lack. There's still plenty of sappy fruit here, with less acid than the young wines, and also lots of ashy soil and earth, light in weight, very nice length. A clean bottle, no brett. Lovely wine and my WOTN.
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1/25/2015 - drfloyd Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit more reserved than I would have guessed - even after a good decant. Still fairly youthful- lovely red fruits on the nose with some earthiness (no crazy funk at all) hint of mint and spice also. nice medium weight on the palate - almost some glycerol at the core - terrific acidity and a long finish. Very good but will wait at least three years befor I try another.
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1/22/2015 - eluebchow wrote: 91 Points
A hint of brett and barnyard on the nose that blew off after some air; The palate is a little less open than when I last tried this, but still has some lovely and dense red fruits and savory characteristics of pepper, leather and bell pepper; Fruit is still very present, suggesting this has a lot of life ahead
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12/20/2014 - oropeza wrote: 85 Points
Barnyard on the nose continues into the glass... "horses, horse sweat and horse sh_t!" is what she said... I liked it a little better, slight red fruit moving quickly into earthiness and the aforementioned horse-iness (SP?). Slight but distinct brettiness, which is really what puts me off... admittedly hard to love, even for someone who likes a little of the barn in his yard.
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11/22/2014 - joekroe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine right now. Limestone powdered saddle leather and dried plums.
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11/16/2014 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is a nice Chinon that is very enjoyable. The nose is pretty classic with some red fruit, herbal notes, hints of bell pepper and violet, and some damp earth. The palate is well developed, balanced, elegant, and tasty. Not mind blowing, but well made, nicely aged example of elegant cab franc. Definitely worth trying.
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10/29/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 89 Points
Barnyard and funk, over herbs, stems, and savory notes. The red fruit plays second-fiddle to the savory and tobacco notes. Loads of acidity, and a good, very approachable, backbone of tannin.
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10/24/2014 - rc@ughey Likes this wine: 92 Points
I really liked this. The bright, jagged acidity has softened a bit and the red, brambly fruit is framed by earthy, meaty tones and fine spices. Superbly balanced and almost gulpable. This is *just* entering its adolescence and has a ways to go, but was really lovely with roast chicken and duck now.
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10/17/2014 - Julian Marshall Does not like this wine: 80 Points
On opening this was very promising, with rich seams of strawberry interlaced with blackberry, but the faint green taste I noticed got progressively worse as the evening drew on, in the end taking over completely, as well as a thin, bitter finish. So maybe a bad bottle, but not what I had hoped.
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9/19/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Precise and linear, tight, delicious, high tonned, green. Needs more time in my opinion.
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8/19/2014 - eluebchow Likes this wine: 93 Points
The nose and palate exhibit notes of tobacco, dried herbs, green pepper and smoke that are quite nuanced, with plenty of structure for additional aging; This is my first experience with aged Chinon, and I thought it was drinking beautifully with a long life ahead
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7/3/2014 - Old Doug wrote: 90 Points
Being that my overall impression is that this wine exhibits significant bottle variation, I judiciously decided to open another for comparison; in the name of science, mind you. A Sauternes strode out to front this evening, so the occasion of a third bottle might prompt some to assume that my enthusiasm might be a tad plumped by circumstance, but no - with all due diligence and staid, rational contemplation at hand, this bottle was less balanced - the acidity and alcohol are more than just "present," they are overtopping the other elements.
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7/3/2014 - Old Doug wrote: 92 Points
There is a sense of "old wine" here, a leathery, earthy, leaf-litter quality. It contrasts with a young, tangy, fruity nose. On the palate, red fruit, green herbs, real contrast - fresh, ripe cherries and old, cured grass. An overall dusty, woody aspect that lasts long into the finish, comforting, if anything. Here, I think it all boils down to a pleasing complexity within overall good balance. Noticeable acidity, and while not stratospheric at 12.5%, the alcohol is 'present.' Here, it all works.
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6/23/2014 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
This is a bottle I bought upon release, not one of the ones with the new label that came later. The wine is honestly excellent. I don't know if I'm evaluating it differently from most people, but to me it goes down like a friendly Riesling - balanced, acidic, fruity, complex too - delicious. The fruit is red and lovely but it is receding now, and what's left is beautifully balanced and almost impossibly shot through with graphite, bone dry, fresh and pure Cabernet. Lovely. I would drink this wine every month forever if I could. If I had to pick a nit it;s that the alcohol at 12.5% sticks out just a bit here and there on the nose.
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6/7/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
High acid dinner (Rieslings, Riojas, Madeiras, etc) (Milford, CT): Lovely wine that screams of old-school Loire Cab Franc. Tobacco, tar, violets, herbs and earth. Complex, layered and very well delineated. A bit stalky in a good way (not overtly green)... just enough to add complexity. Snappy acidity keeps this lively.
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6/7/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Great company, very short notes: My best experience with wine, as the ripe, fruity cab-franc half of this Jeckyll-and-Hyde seems to be maturing and yielding to its more serious, herbal other half. Another several years may yet resolve the split personality that has been my issue with this wine.
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6/7/2014 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Rieslings, Riojas, and old fortified wines at Marco's (Milford, CT): One of the better bottles I've had of this. No brett at all, just pure, sappy red berried fruit accented with green herbs, tobacco, and more savoury earthy notes on a medium weight frame. The richness of the fruit and the tannic backbone suggests there's a lot of time ahead here, but after a double decant this was drinking very well.
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5/8/2014 - geeky? not sure wrote:
First sip was like a pack of cigarettes (in an awesome way). Fruit didn't show up until last glass of day 2. May need more time.
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4/25/2014 - Zonk wrote: flawed
Opened at Pearl &Ash. Bottle opened with noticeable funk. My wife commented that it smelled "wet," but we thought that would dissipate a bit if it got some air. As it got some air it really just smelled of band-aids and we really couldn't taste much fruit. Unfortunately brett had gotten the best of this bottle, and I am generally pretty tolerant of brett. They were very nice about replacing this with something else, although I suspect the sommelier thought it was just the" character" of the wine.
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4/11/2014 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Let's Open Some Wines From 2002 (Palena - Washington, DC): The best showing of this wine thus far. This had billowing aromatics of tobacco, green pepper, red fruit, and roses. Palate was deep and fleshy with a lot of complex tobacco and dark fruit woven together. This can live a long time, and is also drinking beautifully right now.
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3/23/2014 - yofog wrote: 93 Points
There's some barnyard here, but it's attractive, and super elegant chalky red fruits. Lots of gravelly, graphitey notes. Wide open but beautifully balanced and with many years ahead, this is still on the young side of its evolution.
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3/14/2014 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
This 2002 drank both relatively mature and very lively, a great combination. After an hour in the decanter, the initially stinky scent seemed almost to have been absorbed back into the wine, lingering pleasantly in the background. At that point, the wine tasted sweetly brambly and was very aromatic, a bouquet of flowers. Satiny texture. The wine developed to taste more savory with a woodsy smell. By the end, there was a liqueur-like quality to it that I loved.
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3/13/2014 - RickMcQ wrote: 83 Points
Past it's prime
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3/4/2014 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Funk, red fruit (red currants), and herbs (sage). Silky, medium-bodied frame with plentiful fine tannin and plenty of acid, into a medium-length sour, red currant finish.
It is very well made, but I just don't get this wine, and it is not for lack of trying. Take an earthy cab franc, a green cab franc, and a clean fruity cab franc, and mix them all together. Not integrated, but literally like three very different bottles blended together, yielding very little harmony.
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3/3/2014 - sjr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened for an hour. This wine develops over the course of an evening.
Concentrated ruby center, pale around the edges. The slightest bricking, no sediment and quite clear. On the nose, barnyard funk, metallic, undercurrent of bell pepper, olive; waning soft, powdery tannins, with medium plus acidity, yet quite soft; in mouth, earth, mushroom, light green pepper, softened cherry, some funk; medium finish, pleasantly light on the tongue with good acidity and metallic-cherry notes.
Hitting a plateau? Drink or hold for a few more years. So ready to drink now.
On day two: This is even more excellent. I drank half the first night, Vacuvin'd the other half, and stuck it in the wine fridge. Not at all dissipated. Cherry picks up a nice tartness to it and the barnyard note is moderately stronger. Quite savory. Just fantastic stuff.
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2/24/2014 - jinatnrt Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I'm generally a big fan of Raffault's older Chinons, but this vintage quite didn't satisfy my expectations. It wasn't funky enough and it was too green. Maybe this wine needs few more years in the bottle but unless I come across one many years from now will probably shy away from it.
Changed rating from 84 to 87 because the wine improved significantly on the second day and still was alive on the third day! This wine needs many more years in the bottle.
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2/16/2014 - gris Likes this wine: 90 Points
The tannins have smoothed, good amount of acidity still present. The fruit seemed to be fading, but replaced with nice forest floor, mushrooms and earth after the rain. Light on its feet. Drinking well now; not sure will improve from here but will try another in a few years to see.
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2/8/2014 - @ethanfries wrote:
Dirt and mushrooms and raspberry silk dress.
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1/26/2014 - AccaDacca wrote: 90 Points
Slow decant for two hours after opening, consumed over two nights. A bit of stink on the nose, which I enjoy. Medium weight with good acidity and abundant tannins. Red cherry fruit, some earth, a little green pepper. Quite enjoyable.
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1/22/2014 - quistz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened far too early. Shows a lot of tannin, green stemmy notes and a light metallic note on the finish. Not a Cab Franc for newbies.
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1/15/2014 - JOsgood wrote:
Wasn't an overly interesting bottle. A bit dirty tasting.
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1/5/2014 - randyjc wrote: 92 Points
In the lexicon of the day, OMG. This is a delightful surprise of a wine, bright red fruit with flavors of tart, overripe cherries and strawberries but with sufficient acidity to carry the fruit into the finish. A fair bit of green vegetable initially, asparagus more than green pepper. The dustiest nose and mouth of any wine ever tasted - calls to mind dried leaves in the fall. Nuanced and layered and a lengthy captivating finish to just close your eyes and savor. Beautiful wine. We drank it with roasted chicken and the pairing was perfect.
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12/28/2013 - MBannon Likes this wine: 86 Points
Tasty little wine, nothing fancy, but certainly no flaws and no craziness. Just a solid, food-friendly red. Drinking very well right now, unlikely to improve from here I think.
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12/27/2013 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
Defines relaxed winter drinking with a great roasted chicken or pot au feu. Raffault has fantastic older releases and this is quite different from the delicious but not- for- everybody 1990 or 1985,which have great extract with hay, briar, medium red cherry and that Cabernet franc old "wrong side of the barnyard" scent and flavors. The 2002 drinks right out of the bottle and is smooth and a more bright cherry led stable smokey flavor. Light but rich in its own way-- less complex than its older,great vintage brethren, but a terrific QPR and smooth bottle.
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12/16/2013 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was our 4th bottle but my first TN for the 2002 Raffault Les Picasses. It was allowed to slo-ox for 5 hours and then decanted 30 minutes before serving.
In the glass, it had a lovely medium density ruby robe with just a touch of browning at the rim. While a bit reticent at first pour, it gained in intensity throughout our meal. Suggestions of blackberry and ripe Damson plum played second fiddle to loam, savory herbs, fall leaves, dark roast coffee beans, tobacco, and a noticeable but unobtrusive green pepper component. I also found an unusual floral component to the aromatics that I was unable to associate with anything specific.
There was a firm medium weight, excellent balance, and lovely smooth finish here that was imminently pleasing. In character, it is neither bashful or boastful, but rather a charming, poised, "feminine" dinner companion.
It seemed more evolved than the 2005 we opened a few weeks ago and more reminiscent of the 1990 as I remember it from last year. While it is clearly in a nice place now and should hold well for another 10+ years, it poses no serious challenge to the 1989 as my favorite Les Picasses.
UPDATE: 2/11/2014
Decanted for only 20 minutes leaving a modest sediment. It was served with a hearty stew of porcini & cremini mushrooms, barley, carrots-celery-onions, and Umbrian lentils. Oh my, this bottle was just superb; even more so than the last bottle in Dec. 2013.
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11/4/2013 - Old Doug wrote: 91 Points
Good comments about "autumnal" below - this wine certainly fits. Dried leaves, earth, a restrained dry warmth just like a sunny day now, at 12.5% stated alcohol it still manages to make the lips a little numb. Smooth, smooth tannins. I wish I had a bottle of this for every month of my life.
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10/20/2013 - lepetitchateau wrote: 87 Points
John Gilman gave this a 93 - I must have a different wine, because this was nice, fine ... But not anywhere in the league of 93 points. It is showing earthiness on the nose and the palate, but there is scant intensity to the wine. It is decent but not exciting.
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10/11/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Such a lovely autumnal wine, with its combination of earthy, peaty, and smokey aromas. On the palate, it came across as lightweight but lithe, herbal, and energetic. Just beautiful, unmistakeable Chinon.
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9/5/2013 - Charlie Pendejo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of earth & decaying fall leaves... very nice at this life stage.
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9/2/2013 - Old Doug wrote: 91 Points
Good bit of bottle variation, compared with yesterday's. Less vegetal, acidity in better balance, some nice cocoa and coffee aspects on the palate and through the finish.
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9/1/2013 - Old Doug wrote: 88 Points
Funky, earthy, peppery, vegetal. Lightly fruity and a bit thin on the palate, doesn't quite balance the prominent acidity.
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8/31/2013 - JOsgood wrote:
Never came around after a good decant. Lots of soil but no fruit. Dry and bitter on the finish.
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8/28/2013 - Gcashman wrote: 89 Points
obviously a well made bottle, but not my style. floral nose with some underbrush. dry, spicy, red fruit, with green herbal elements. thin to medium bodied.
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7/20/2013 - pifcho Likes this wine: 91 Points
I thought this was singing tonight even after a short decant. A lot of Loire funk on the nose, but a very smooth juicy palate which offered a nice mix of black fruits with notes of typical cab franc green elements. Great with food and tasty on its own.
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7/4/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 91 Points
So fun. Very consistent with others' positive feedback below. Lovely, light berry nose. Fresh, dark red fruit on the palate. Great acidity - this paired really well with homemade paella. Eager to drink more of it, though there appears no rush to do so!
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3/7/2013 - djarcara wrote: 87 Points
Medium body. Green pepper, barnyard with a touch of clove and very restrained black fruit.
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2/18/2013 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 87 Points
A bit to mellow for my taste. It does have sense of place but I don't know if that's a good thing. It's just too mellow. I've always thought of cab franc as a blending grape and this certainly confirms it. There's some elegance but it lacks some grip and maybe I shouldn't have had a few Burgundies the night before. That kind of outshined this bottle. I won't give up on Chinon but this wasn't much incentive to keep trying. Hopefully, I got an off-bottle.
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1/23/2013 - Beerzebub Likes this wine:
Smells good - green roots, pungent black pepper, tobacco, earth, nice depth to it that suggests the age. Tart cherry juice, underbrush and stony earth on the palate, with bitterness becoming noticeable after a second or two and continuing to grow. Tasty fairly long finish of tart fruit and green, sappy herbal bitterness, all smoothed out by a bit of brown sugar/molasses, nice aged character. Plenty of acidity. Full of character and quite enjoyable!
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12/20/2012 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Blind Wines at Tim's (Tim's House - Chicago, IL): Lots of tilled soil, mushroom, green pepper and red fruits on the nose. The palate was cool, energetic and silky. Great red fruit, nice earthy notes with lots of crushed stones. Great stuff as usual.
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12/20/2012 - briandavispdx wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, musty nose reminiscent of a Chateauneuf but just a little more floral deep in the nostrils. Oakey and luscious on the palette, with spice and blackberry notes that show on the back of the tongue and linger through a soft but complex finish. At ten years old, this is drinking well now but the tannic structure is there to evolve even further.
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12/16/2012 - RickMcQ wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine, should be consumed now.
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12/7/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 90 Points
Shabbat (Coventry, CT): Very young, quite fruit-forward with dark cherry dominating over the spice and herbal elements. I know others who love this wine, but I still see the fruit and herbal elements not getting along quite yet.
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12/7/2012 - salil wrote: 90 Points
Casual Friday night drinks (Coventry, CT): I'm amazed by just how youthful this wine seems ten years past vintage. The fruit's still incredibly fresh and vibrant, pure red berried fruit with a seasoning of high toned spicy, herbal and leafy flavours. There's just a touch of development noticeable with some leathery elements emerging with air, but this still seems very young and a wine to really wait on.
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10/23/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Grand Sichuan NYC (quick notes): Showed as very young and primary despite its ten years, though some of that could have been the company of older Bordeaux.
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10/23/2012 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Mmm, lovely; a combination of rich red and dark fruited flavours, savoury earthiness and higher toned spicy, tobacco and herbaceous flavours on a polished, medium weight frame. This still feels incredibly youthful and seems to have years ahead of it, but it's a wonderful combination with the lamb with green pepper.
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10/16/2012 - nypataphysics wrote: 92 Points
This is the wine that sold me on the whole Biodynamic calendar idea. This was a really lovely wine that was very reluctant to show itself.
Notes of cedar, smoke, a deep and really pretty licorice, and dry leaves beneath a classic Chinon berry-ish profile. Light to medium bodied with soft tannins, I still think Chinon is one of my favorite wines. At 10+ years old, this wine tasted incredibly youthful and felt like it would live forever. We opened the bottle on a 'root day', and after an hour and a half of decanting, it was still very primary. Around 10pm it became a "leaf day" and the leafier, licorice flavors started to sneak out (after almost 3 hours of decanting). I want to try this wine again under more favorable (lunar?) circumstances and see if it makes any difference. Also, I'm going to open this the night before I drink it--as with so many really natural wines, I get the sense that this could live forever and would only improve from being open at least 24 hours. Nonetheless, it was a really enjoyable wine and really pleasurable.
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7/19/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 90 Points
Nice intensity of aromas. Predominantely tertiary, animal notes. Leather, tobacco, cedar and a bit of vegetal notes typical of Cab. Franc. Nice structure, showing very well right now on the palate. Mostly tertiary as well but some red fruits on the background. Good medium+ finish
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7/8/2012 - wineshlub wrote: 92 Points
Opened two hours in advance. Deep rich berry aromas. Complex, earthy flavors with notes of red fruit and that slight vegetal streak which keeps these wines affordable for those of us that like that sort of thing. Lots of sage and other spices in the full finish. Delicate, but with some decidedly sharp edges.
When first opened this still tasted raw and closed, only now is it really starting to blossom. Outstanding now, it appears to have many, many years left.
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7/7/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Celebrating Bob's birthday (Maude's Liquor Bar, Chicago IL): nose: wafting and pretty aromatics with tones of red fruits, berries, spices, leather, and freshly picked roses. Very good balance with some nice depth as well. Aromatic with a femininity to it as well.
taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and nice firm tannins as well. Balanced with a real nice elegant take to it and tones of red fruits, berries, spices and some floral tones as well.
overall: This was a real lovely chinon. It still has a ways to go, but it's well in balance right now and has some polish to it too.
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7/7/2012 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Bob's Birthday Dinner (Maude's Liquor Bar - Chicago, IL): Awesome stuff. Had great dusty red fruit mixed with underbrush and herbal tones. Palate had great acidity and a mouthfeel that had plush flavors with an airy character.
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7/6/2012 - pbaek wrote:
There is much more fruit here compared to the 1986 enjoyed with Asher at The National - obviously. The fruit is dark, bitter, almost austere but very firm and juicy. There is lovely, complex flavors of farm, tobacco and tar. There is an excellent balance between the fruit, acidity and tannins here, this is a great Chinon. With Finn in PA for soccer tournament with our boys.
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7/1/2012 - steffenpelz wrote:
Delivered as always. Deep, dark black berry flavors and loaded with tobacco, tar, green bell pepper and aromas of barnyard. Chinon all the way through and proof once again why Olga Raffault is often referred to as the "Queen of the Barnyard". Highly recommended.
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6/3/2012 - Socrates wrote:
Wonderful wine. Dark, translucent garnet color. Beautiful notes of graphite, charcoal, raspberry, and a slight green vegetal quality. Broad acidic structure frames focused layers of graphite and raspberry with secondary notes of blueberry, ash, peppercorn, green pepper, and spice. Awesome. Finish is long with loads of ash and blueberry and chalky yet smooth tannins.
This is really a great, complex wine. It won't please everyone, but for those who love a wine with interest, this is it. My only criticism is that it feels just a little thin in weight. It's just shy of mid-bodied and the lack of viscosity is a little disappointing.
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5/14/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Atlanta offline at Kevin Rathbun's Steak (Kevin Rathbun's Steak): PnP. Dark garnet ruby core, no sign of age. Still rather primary, with a rustic but noble profile of dark red and black fruits, graphite, black peppercorns, and campfire ashes. A beam of acidity manages to keep it fresh and inviting, and the formidable tannins are perhaps in the middle of their mellowing, but really, this wine has several really fun years ahead of it. I wish I had a case. Honest, a bit dirty in a way, but delivers a great sense of place and a touch of savory on the extended finish. Drink thru 2023
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4/1/2012 - Old Doug wrote: 91 Points
An all-around very well made wine. Looks like a nicely-aged red Burgundy, translucent dark ruby color with a little bricking. Interesting restrained fruits and spice on the nose, excellent balance on the palate, a wine that really draws you in, red and dark fruits, and again with the spices, nice dry finish leaves you wanting another glass.
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3/18/2012 - jsums wrote: 92 Points
Ruby color with orange rim. Nose: black cherry, ripe strawberry, and black plum fruit with accents of clove, anise, balsamic vinegar, chalk, peppercorn, and charred bell pepper. Medium body on the palate: high-toned plum, black cherry, and black raspberry fruit framed by clove, tobacco, anise, chalk, bell pepper, and a hint of bay leaf. Aggressive acidity. Moderate rustic mouth-coating tannins. Lingering plum skin, tobacco, chalk, and bay leaf on the long dry finish. Impressive combination of intensity, rustic complexity, and graceful structure. Still has a good 3-5 years left to fully unwind/develop. Beautifully made.
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2/7/2012 - andtheodor wrote:
Bizarre nose of soil, ashtray, green peppercorn, carob, curry powder, and cigarette tobacco. On the palate, deficient in fruit with mushroom and charred meat on top of a stale cigar note. Improved with air to the point where some currant was apparent but this was too rustic and bitter to really enjoy.
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1/30/2012 - Pierre-Yves wrote: 89 Points
Very nice aged chinon. Smooth, slight orange hue, chalky Cabernet franc missing the umph to be remarkable but nonetheless perfect with charcuterie or pâté. Lovely.
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12/21/2011 - Abigailkb wrote: 92 Points
Funky, rich, complex, with some spice. Drank at cork buzz.
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12/15/2011 - wrrntl wrote:
really starting to develop into something spectacular. Nose that is starting to give more earth and nuanced fruit and herb notes. Not too much color change from rim to middle. Still has plenty of longevity but seems to be in the second phase of its trajectory.
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12/6/2011 - tooch wrote:
I was surprised how tight this was - took about 5 hours to really open up. Had nice leather, dried tobacco, red fruit and dried leaves on the palate. Really great wine and I really do think that I'm moving over to prefer Olga Raffault's wine to Bernard Baudry. If you consider the price, it's no contest.
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9/8/2011 - Aloysius16 wrote: 89 Points
Definite food wine. Very light and fragile with substantial leafiness.
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8/25/2011 - abh wrote:
Enjoyed this very much. Some green pepper/herbyness, but all integrated very well and with a nicely resolved structure. Quite classical. Extremely pleasant drinking.
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7/22/2011 - Wicker Parker wrote:
Judging by the comments left here it seems the 02 Picasses is starting to mellow considerably: all the bell pepper, tobacco, and funkiness have been sublimated. The texture is smooth, with just enough structuring tannin, yet there's also a wateriness that's quite welcome, for the wine is refreshing even on a warm night. The fruit and the attack seem quite primary yet and it seems to me this hasn't yet hit its plateau.
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2/13/2011 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. A core of rich cassis and red fruited flavours accented with meaty funk, a touch of green pepper and developing leathery and forestal notes. Conveys a sense of rusticity and polish at the same time, beautifully balanced and I wish I had more of this.
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1/13/2011 - timewithwine wrote:
Sandalwood and green herbs, but not at all weedy. Some slight cinnamon on the finish. With leftovers of chicken Parmesan (by LMcDS) and salad. This is a good pairing. Something rustic with a rustic dish. As BB, DD, PM and I decompress on day 3 following loss of family. Recommended.
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3/18/2010 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Really lovely wine combining plenty of bright red and dark fruited flavours and tobacco leaves with the start of developing leathery and earthy elements in an elegant package with gentle tannins and really good presence and length with barely any sense of weight.
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2/26/2010 - MRichman wrote:
Pretty with lots of cedar. Broad and nicely rounded.
B/B-
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1/5/2010 - french16 wrote: 89 Points
Tasted Blind.
Beautiful and elegant nose. Cassis leaf, violets with some red fruits. Balanced, med body with high acidity, nice violet on the palate. The finish is slightly green.
Austere but a pleasure to drink.
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12/19/2009 - tutticalvi wrote: 87 Points
Some funk on opening that diminshed over an hour but did not disapear. Lighter in color than I expected. Underneath funk were smooth tannins, not much fruit or complexity. Easy drinking wine.
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11/18/2009 - betzbaxter wrote: 95 Points
My (SMB) favorite wine. Recommended by sommelier at Farmhouse in Russian River Valley almost three years ago. Hasn't disappointed yet; delighted still by bottle opened this week.
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11/17/2009 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Drinking beautifully right now, this is classic chinon in all its funky, herbal, black-fruited glory. Complex and very satsifying, with ample structure to continue to improve. Really enjoyed this bottle
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8/21/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 90 Points
Garnet color with a clear hue. The nose has green pepper, red fruit and a nice funk that grows with air though doesn't overpower the other elements. The palate has a nice texture: smooth and caressing, medium bodied, but with good structure. Maybe just slightly on the thin side. Capsicum, some darker fruit - blackberry, maybe - on the palate, but fruit is not the point of this wine. Medium-length finish, nothing spectacular. I rather liked this bottle. It was much better than a previous bottle a few months ago.
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7/13/2009 - kenito799 wrote: 90 Points
Barnyard, iron, fresh green pepper, tart plum on the nose. Earthy, smooth but forceful tannins, tobacco, dark cherry fruit, long mineral finish. Unique and wonderfully complex. Drinking better than ever.
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5/30/2009 - Winetex wrote:
Ruby color; No score as I wasn't sure what to make of this wine. It had a good core of fruit and a mineral streak underlying wild green pepper notes. It even smelled a bit like a fresh jalepeno pepper at one point. Poor balance with wacky acids and tannins. Strangely I liked it. Steffen, good luck with this one. Open another for me in 10.
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5/30/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Dinner Chez Rob & Lauryl: This wine is still so tannic and acidic that it was a shock to drink after the wines before it. Just massive structure despite low extraction. Has the funk that Olga Raffault is famous for. As with most of her Chinons, this is a finesse wine that has some serious green bell pepper and vegetable notes, so those who can't tolerate that will hate this wine. I predict this will be an amazing bottle of wine in 10 more years. Really not a wine to consume right now. The rest of my bottles go to the long term underground storage.
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5/1/2009 - jtabor wrote: 92 Points
Pretty raspberry and cherry with good minerality, eucalytpus.
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4/18/2009 - hutch wrote: 88 Points
Ruby/orange in color. This bottle was a very slight leaker. Cranberry and light red fruits mixed with earth and herbs on the palate. Light+ body, with a fantastic tannic structure on this, but not overwhelming. High acid, but in balance. The prefect food wine? Opened up after half and hour. Really good stuff. Gained a little depth. Tasty stuff. I've you got 'em, I'd pop a bottle open.
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3/7/2009 - ivsimler wrote: flawed
I THINK this bottle was getting just a tad corked. It was a bizarre cabernet franc wine.
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3/1/2009 - smphelps wrote: 86 Points
Medium red with a brick orange tint. Herbal green scents on the nose with a little barnyard behind it. Bell peppers and black pepper with a thin red berry element. Overall a bit on the thin side.
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1/10/2009 - pawine wrote: 89 Points
Opened and double decanted after 1hr. Blackish color with good viscosity. Classic herbally -tar/smoke/blackberry/rasberry nose of Cab Franc. On the palate, ripe blackberry/rasberry with some tar. Very well balanced and excellent with roast chicken. Somewhat lean on that palate which is what you would expect for a "classic" year 2002. Moderately long finish with lingering tannins. Could age another 5 years but why wait. Will drink my remaining ones over the next 2-3 years.
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11/27/2008 - french16 wrote: 88 Points
Close in style to the Baudry but maybe a little more austere and less extraction, even in a great vintage such as 2002.
A lot of smoky tobacco and green pepper notes along with red fruits. Med body, fresh acidity, it needs food.
Very enjoyable.
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10/14/2008 - Gargantua wrote:
Zach brought this highly recommended bottle for us to try. Very different wine, evocative of strange chemical tones. Only red I’ve encountered which had an overwhelming nose of chile relleno-esque Mexican spiced, cooked green bell pepper. A bit of musk and barnyard funk lurking beneath. Laundry detergent tones at times in the back. Hard to get past the cooked vegetable tone, even with patience. We didn’t finish the bottle. Jane didn’t care for it. Fun deciphering the complex strangeness.
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9/30/2008 - slanum wrote:
Comparing this wine to many of the 2005 vintage Loire Valley Cab Francs I've tasted recently is a case of apples and oranges. There's a world of difference between 2002 and 2005. This seems mature: ruby-garnet instead of purple, no in-your-face aromas or stank. It's much subtler on the palate, too, and offers an overall experience of rather reticent raspberries, a touch of woodsiness (not wood), and some earth. Very 'autumnal' if that makes any sense. Seems to have a peacock's tail of a finish, opening up a lot after it's swallowed. No bells or whistles here, just real quality.
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9/30/2008 - fCOT wrote: 86 Points
a bit disapointing.lighter than I was expecting.lacks concnetration, structure and intensity of a typical chinon.A bit too thin.vegetal and red berries on the nose.on the palate, it is light bodied, earthy with a decent finish.
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9/27/2008 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Rosso: Soft, juicy, great fruit, but great class behind it. Not a complex wine, mid-weight, but good drinker. Went well w/cold cuts.
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4/13/2008 - JamesSanders wrote: 90 Points
Flavor profile is the same as the last bottle, except this one was ready to drink right out of the gate. Tobacco notes, with a hint of rhubarb and cherry. Very smooth. A good match with Korean-style beef ribs and a screaming deal at $16.
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3/21/2008 - 5laton wrote: 89 Points
Color is light ruby, turning pale at the rim, still appears fairly youthful. The nose is very pretty, dominated by classic vegetal scents of celery stick, green tobacco, fire-roasted peppers, as well as aromatics of fresh alpine strawberry and macerated cherries. In the mouth it tastes of strawberry and other red berry fruit, with an almost floral component and wonderful, juicy acidity. There is also a savory taste reminiscent of a beef roast with a touch of steak sauce, and a lingering flavor of cracked green peppercorns. A very attractive and delicious Chinon that i suspect would pair wonderfully with steak. For me this wine is close to being in the pocket for prime drinking; some leftovers were considerably softer and less focused a couple of days later.
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2/11/2008 - kenito799 wrote: 89 Points
Drinking better than last year...smoky plums, bell peppers, hint of tomato, leather, orange peel on the nose. Tart and bitter with an herbaceous complexity, a fine vermouth-y quality, peppery tangy smokey plum, raspberry...earthy and mineral finish. Lots of fun!
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2/11/2008 - Cliff A wrote: 88 Points
Tasty Chinon and a great QPR. A much more balanced wine as it matures. Leather, earthy and red fruit on the nose. Ruby garnet in color and showing signs of age at the rim. On the palate a good bit of red fruit - raspberry, strawberry - and some musky flavors. A medium finish on the medium bodied wine.
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12/17/2007 - JamesSanders wrote:
Ordered this off a terrific wine list at Le Pigeon. At $36 an almost unmatchable restaurant deal. Flavors and aromas seemed right down the middle of the plate for a 2002 Chinon. Not showing many secondary notes at this point and it started off quite austere, even against a rich and sweetish terrine of beef neck. Fleshed out nicely with an hour of air and by the time we were on the cheese course it was really singing. Not remotely as opulent as the 2002 Breton Les Picasses, but quite a nice wine.
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10/12/2007 - d'Yquembe Mutombo wrote: 87 Points
This wine started off thin and uninteresting but picked up some serious cajones after about 30 minutes in the glass. Has less smokiness but more fruit than most Chinons I've tasted. I wish I had some food to pair with this b/c I have a feeling it would be spectacular.
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10/11/2007 - brooklynguy wrote: 89 Points
Better with some more time in the bottle. Initially leathery and musky aromas, but gives way to sweet red and black fruits, with a medium bodied texture and an earthy lingering finish. Well balanced - excellent. At $17, a great value.
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6/9/2007 - MBannon wrote: 89 Points
Great value here. Excellent structure, nice fruit. Hope I can find more.
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4/15/2007 - cab wrote:
Lucky strike off the wine list at Ouest in NYC. Fruity, soft, fairly light but some tannins. Eminently drinkable. What I was hoping for by ordering a Chinon somewhat at random. I don't know what this retails for but at $36 in a restaurant I'm sure it beat many of its higher priced peers on the wine list.
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4/3/2007 - brooklynguy wrote: 88 Points
This wine is so much better with food. Enjoyed with sardinian fish soup. bright acidity and fresh reb berry flavors, light to medium bodied, some earthiness.
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3/17/2007 - brooklynguy wrote: 87 Points
lots of pencil lead and iron on the nose and the palate. a very mineral dry cab franc, with a nice core of berry fruit. this is a great food wine.
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2/20/2007 - brooklynguy wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm, I liked it much more than the others did, and maybe it just needed more time in the bottle. Great nose of barnyard and fresh red and black fruit, some herbal character too. Juicy palate of ripe fruit, graphite, some vegetal-ness, some herbs. a fresh tasting wine with good balancing acidity. Went great with braised lamb and carrots. A very good value too.
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2/2/2007 - kenito799 wrote: 86 Points
Light-bodied, tart and bitter cab franc, dry mineral finish, fruit came out with some time in the glass. Dougsmith's note below described it well, I liked it.
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11/26/2006 - blue wrote:
went well with thai food.
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9/19/2006 - dougsmith wrote: 83 Points
Light to medium ruby with an orange tinge to the rim. The nose is quite vegetal with notes of pepper spice, tomato and green pepper. On the palate it is relatively thin on taste with high acidity, a short finish and a slight bitter aftertaste. This is clearly much better on the nose than the palate. It goes decently well with tomato-based sauces and food.
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