Olga Raffault : Champ-Chenin 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for the Olga Raffault Chinon "Champ-Chenin" 2023

Tasting notes

Colour
Displaying a luminous hue, this wine presents a pale yellow colour that can evolve towards subtle golden nuances.

Nose
The bouquet opens with a lovely floral richness, mingled with aromas of pear, peach and citrus. Delicate touches of honey and straw, along with a chalky minerality, round out this aromatic profile.

Palate
The palate offers a rich, enveloping texture, perfectly balanced by a very fresh backbone. Flavours of peach and citrus dominate, bringing a lovely vibrancy to the whole.

Food and wine pairing

This Olga Raffault Champ-Chenin Chinon Blanc from the Loire pairs wonderfully with vegetarian cuisine, soft cheeses or oily fish such as salmon and tuna. It also pairs beautifully with light poultry dishes.

Service and storage

For optimal enjoyment, this wine should be served at a temperature between 8 and 10°C. The Chinon "Champ-Chenin" 2023 can be enjoyed in its youth, but also has the ageing potential to develop in the cellar until at least 2031.

Other characteristics

This dry white wine has an alcohol content of 12.5%. It stands as a moving tribute from the current owner to her grandmother, a pioneer of local winemaking.

The elegance and rarity of a great white wine from the Loire Valley

The estate

Founded in 1920 in Savigny-en-Véron, in the heart of the Loire Valley, the Olga Raffault estate is a true institution. Following the death of her husband in 1947, Olga Raffault took over the running of the estate, becoming one of the first women to head a wine estate in the region. Today, her granddaughter Sylvie Raffault, alongside her husband Éric de la Vigerie and their son Arnaud, carries on this family legacy. The estate is renowned for its exacting standards of quality and its deep respect for terroir.

The vineyard

Located between the Loire and Vienne rivers, the vineyard spans 24 hectares, of which a single hectare is dedicated to the production of the Olga Raffault Champ-Chenin Chinon Blanc from the Loire. The vines, around fifty years old, flourish on the exclusive Champs Chenin monopole plot. This particular terroir within the Chinon appellation is distinguished by its heavy clay-limestone soils. The entire estate is certified organic, ensuring environmentally responsible practices.

The vintage

The year was marked by a particularly mild and dry spring, encouraging an early start to the vines' growing cycle. These warm weather conditions accelerated the ripening of the berries, leading to an early hand harvest in order to preserve all the freshness of the fruit.

Winemaking and aging

The hand-harvested berries undergo a rigorous selection process. Winemaking follows a minimal-intervention approach, aimed at preserving the integrity of the fruit and the characteristic minerality of its plot of origin, in order to craft this Chinon "Champ-Chenin".

Grape variety

This wine is made exclusively from Chenin Blanc (100%).