Rosé from Raffault: Joy and Substance
Olga Raffault's most prestigious wine is their red Chinon from the Les Picasses vineyard, an incredibly long-lived, classic expression of limestone terroir through a Cabernet Franc lens.
Their most straight-up joyful wine, on the other hand, is their rosé. But don't think for a moment that that means it's unsubstantial, because this is annual favorite is in fact one of the best examples of a rosé that manages to be both delicious enough for drinking on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and also complex enough that it can elevate a meal. The Cab Franc for this beauty comes from sand and gravel soils, which give the wine more accessible juiciness than the Picasse bottling, as well as a fresh, crunchy bite of minerality.
2022 was a perfect vintage for this wine. As the winemakers said, "you can feel the sun in the glass"! It's very aromatic on the nose and beautifully fresh in the mouth as well as complex -- pretty fruit, hints of stone and herbs. The finish is long and refined.
It's straight-up yummy and you don't need to spend a bunch of time thinking about the wine to enjoy it: it offers plenty of simple pleasures in fruit and freshness. But if you stop to pay attention, or pair it with, say fresh fish and vegetables off the grill seasoned with some fresh herbs, you'll see the depths it actually contains. This is one of those wines that can elevate a simple meal, bringing out flavors and textures.
And while you'll love this Rosé now for the bright fruit and nearly bubbly freshness, it will actually last, picking up complexity over the course of months or even a year in the cellar; it's amazing now with spring and summer produce, but it will be great, too, when Fall's harvest starts to come in.
Of course, the wine will be long sold out by then so, if you want to have enough wine to last you through the summer and beyond, pick up a few bottles today!
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