From the standard-bearer of Chinon, this Les Picasses is now showing its full potential and why it's a favorite of sommeliers and oenophiles the world over The farming is certified organic and harvest is manual. This minimalist approach in the vineyard extends to the cellar. The fruit is destemmed, with the whole berries going uncrushed into tank for fermentation with native yeasts. Les Picasses is aged the longest before release: a minimum of four years, mainly in old foudres, some of chestnut as well oak. This wine lives for decades, and the family has always maintained a deep library of back vintages, released periodically in minute quantities. The less brawny, younger-drinking Les Peuilles spends only 6-12 months in wood, and the earliest-release Les Barnabés sees no wood at all. Through the generations, the winemaking has remained traditional, allowing the superiority and expression of Raffault’s sites to shine through.