Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 2008 CALIOTHER and a crisp mineral backbone

and a crisp mineral backbone

December 4th—another opportunity to explore an entirely different selection of Champagnes as we head into the holiday season

The unvarnished soul of Sangiovese

This is grower Champagne doing the everyday job

it's light on its feet

Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses 2008 CALIOTHER and a crisp mineral backboneLes Picasses is one of the Loire's great vineyards, and Olga Raffault is the domaine that proved it. A south facing slope of clay over limestone tuffeau, it gives Cabernet Franc everything it needs at once: sun for ripeness, drainage, clay for flesh, chalk for structure. Raffault's mid slope vines are over fifty years old, farmed organically and fermented with indigenous yeast, then aged for years in big oak and chestnut foudres before more time in