Weeks later and still no 2013 notes? You guys are going to make me buy a bottle to find out for myself!
What an awesome tasting! Love this stuff!
I have had the great privilege of drinking the 89 and 90 several times, and 90 always wins IMHO. The 90 is a particularly good ringer for the burg snobs at the table.
Great to hear on the 2002 and 2005 as well, since that was my initial impression and I laid some down. Ditto 2010.
I completely agree with Jonathan re the general Raffault age requirement and also the 2007, which was a pleasant early drinking surprise recently (even from mag). IMHO chinon generally needs more time than bdx, which I suppose is a function of the acid.
What other Loire cab francs do you folks recommend? I have had some delicious older Breton bourgueil Les Perrieres (early 90s), but that’s about it.
I didn’t buy a whole lot of 2013 Loire CF, found it a tough vintage.
One of the people who was at the vertical last month hosted a Loire-themed dinner Saturday. It was mostly whites (and fabulous), with a mini-vertical of Les Picasses. The '89 and '90 were outstanding. The corks were pulled well ahead, but we didn’t decant them until right before the wines were served. They certainly opened in the glass, but I can’t say it was a problem that they weren’t decanted longer. Served with sous vide pork loin and roasted vegetables.
1985: Pow! You know the smell of freshly chopped green bell pepper? Well, that was this wine. Man, were those scents strong. Like essence of barely ripe cab franc. The tannins seemed very green and hard for quite a while. Then the wine fleshed out and there was more fruit to balance the astringency. Still, “too green for me,” I wrote – both the flavors and the tannins. 86 points for me. Some others liked it better.
1989: Another level of depth and concentration, and ripeness, compared to the other two. Rich, broad-shouldered. Definitely cab franc but no pyrazine madness. Like the bottle last month, this was somewhat Medoc-like. Just outstanding. And it has at least another decade ahead of it, likely many more. 94 points.
1990: Some green pepper notes on the nose, which persist through two hours, but for me these just contributed complexity, unlike the '85, where they completely dominated. There are tannins there, but they are refined, even silky. It’s more elegant than the '89, but initially it seemed a slight step down. It opened up and improved much more with air than the others, so by the end of the evening, after a couple of hours in the glass and some toppings up, it was the equal of the '89, though with a different personality. I wouldn’t say feminine, but refined. This is like a fit man in a beautiful bespoke suit. The '89 is a bit more like a handsome workman in well-pressed overalls. 94 points.
The Pepieres, Ruault, Crochet, Champalou, Huet, Foreau, Chidaine, Closel and Baumard didn’t suck either.
Just caught this topic and figured I would contribute late since Raffault is one of my absolute favorites…this sounds like an amazing tasting.
I also prefer Picasses with about 20 years or more of age but I will occasionally buy a bottle or a glass of recent vintages in a restaurant just to check in. I’ve always found them enjoyable but never profound, and I hate to waste the bottles in my cellar when I know what they have a chance of turning into. According to my notes, the 2009 and 2010 were both very well balanced and seem to have a bright future.
I agree with others that the '89 and '90 are on point right now. I bought a couple of the '79 library bottles with trepidation - surely a wine that delicate couldn’t live so long- but the one bottle I’ve popped was absolutely fantastic and basically just a more ethereal version of the '89. It’s almost enough to make you believe the random vintage labeling story but you can clearly see the glacial evolution.
I don’t know of any other wine that becomes so graceful with age but remains a little wild around the edges. With the right food (grilled quail, braised rabbit with olives) you can hit transcendence…
Welcome to the board, and a great first thread to appear in! The braised rabbit with olives sounds divine! Can you share any additional details about that dish?
Thanks! I’ve been lurking forever and figured I’d try to be of use.
I like to do a riff on a moroccan chicken tagine but just sub out rabbit for the chicken. This is a good recipe to work off of…Chicken, Olive, and Lemon Tagine (Djaj Mqualli) | Saveur
The preserved lemons add a little umami which really lifts the wine. I make my own which is very easy…lemons, salt, and time Preserved Lemons Recipe - NYT Cooking.
I know it sounds like the various spices would overwhelm the rabbit and the wine but it all just melts down into a very harmonious and subtle whole.
Great tasting! Really is there a better QPR for the price for some of these ageable Cab Francs? The greatness of the grape is underestimated, some green notes are natural for young cabs, it is only our palates that have been educated to abhor these tastes. California and RMP have convinced many drinkers that any pyrazine should be regarded as a flaw. In my experience that turns into a tobacco/cigar note over time. Love the complexity. Have a magnum of the Olga 1990 in the cellar, got it for a comparative song recently. These are wines for the ages 
I just reloaded on some '89 and '90. Love these both.
Cheers,
Warren
Beat me to it. All those oldies at Chambers Street were cleaned out in an hour.
I’m glad I jumped on them instead of dithering, as I usually do.
John,
What an excellent thread. Just purchased some 1993 and 1989. Have had the 1993 twice and been impressed both times.
Happened to try the 2014 in a local restaurant last year while cycling in the Loire Valley, and it was definitely young but very good.
Cheers,
Doug
Ugh missed this thread. Dithered between the 1989/1990 or the 1985/1990 and decided to show restraint by only picking up the 1990. The CT on the 1989 had me pause and then Chambers own comment having not had the 1989 in a while gave further pause on the 1989 (I may have been over analyzing…).