Jean-Maurice Raffault

### History Jean-Maurice Raffault is one of the reference names in Chinon, a family domaine with roots running back several generations in the Savigny-en-Véron area at the western edge of the appellation, where the Loire and Vienne rivers converge. The family built its reputation steadily through the latter half of the twentieth century, accumulating parcels across Chinon's varied landscape and establishing a house style grounded in precision rather than weight. The domaine has remained family-owned and operated, with succession handled internally, which has kept both the vineyard holdings and the stylistic approach consistent across decades. Raffault is not a high-profile media name outside of serious Loire circles, but within those circles it carries real authority.

### Vineyards The domaine works across the main soil types that define Chinon's internal geography. Lighter, sandy and gravelly alluvial soils closer to the river produce the fruit that goes into the rosé and entry-level red, delivering wines that are aromatic and relatively early-drinking. Further inland, on the tufa and clay-limestone slopes and plateaux, the holdings include named parcels such as Les Galuches, Le Puy, and Clos d'Isoré, each reflecting subtle differences in exposure and depth of topsoil. Les Galuches sits on sandy, gravelly ground and tends toward a more immediately accessible style; Le Puy and Clos d'Isoré draw on heavier, clay-influenced soils over tufa, which slows ripening and builds structure. Specific farming certifications are not prominently documented for this domaine.

### Winemaking Cabernet Franc is the sole red grape, as the appellation requires. Vinification follows a fairly classical Chinon approach: fermentation in tank, with maceration lengths adjusted to the intended style of each cuvée. The lighter parcels and the rosé see shorter, cooler extractions; the single-parcel reds from Le Puy and Clos d'Isoré receive more extended time on skins to build the structure those sites can support. Oak use is present but restrained, with older wood the norm for the serious reds rather than new barriques, keeping the fruit and the characteristic Chinon pencil-shaving and violet aromatics in the foreground. The wines are not known for being heavily extracted or particularly high in alcohol, which suits the Cabernet Franc of this part of the Loire well. Bottle age rewards the top cuvées noticeably, as the 2020 and 2021 Le Puy vintages illustrate.