TN: Chinon, 1989 Olga Raffault , Les Picasses

Bought this from a reputable store in NYC. At first it was light and complex. After a few hours it was powerful. With air it gained in body. Beautiful eucaliptus nose, balanced in the mouth. Worth the 70 bucks I paid (This was a pricey NY store, but it backs up its old vintages.). Actually overpowered the raw tomato basil sauce I prepared. Great wine. So often I am disappointed by old French wines. This 20 yr. old bottle was very good. Just goes to show, more modest appelations are awesome. This was probably 14 bucks on release. The 2002, a supposedly great vintage, was 17 bucks on release and is now 20 bucks in NYC. Hurray for Chinon!!
Cin Cin,
Agostino

A truly magnificent Loire-head post! I am envious, an `89, who would have thought eh. Guess not if one reads some of the Chinon posts here!

1989 was an outstanding Loire vintage, almost certainly better for reds than 2002 which you mention. I'm not at all surprised that a Picasses from a sturdy producer like Olga Raffault is showing so well; indeed it may well have quite a few more years gracious life, if the owners of the bottles can keep their hands and lips off them.

I liked both the 89 and 90 Picasses, though there is some moderate bottle variation. Both definitely have a litte brett, so that's probably part of it.

This was probably 14 bucks on release.

I'm guessing it was less. At least in France. But then I wasn't buying wine at the time.

It was the memory of a 1989 Chinon - the 1989 Clos de l'Echo from Couly-Dutheil - that made me return to the Loire, after flirting with the wines of other regions and countries. It was a stunning wine when I drank it at my graduation in 1994. I don't recall when I drank my other bottles. I can still smell it now, intense tobacco and leaves and leather, but with the fruit density of a great vintage underneath it. I only hope my 2005s (I have some Clos de l'Echo and some of Raffault's Picasses in this vintage) turn out as good!