INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 OLGA RFFAULT CHINON ROSE $23.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

Probably too hot today to think about anything else but a wine that can be served with some serious chill to it. And chill we will, with a lovely Rose from one of our favorite regions in the Loire. Cabernet Franc is king here, and the red wines are phenomenal, but the Roses are underappreciated and sneaky brilliant. The grape is naturally fragrant and polished in texture without a lot of aggressive tannins, and the cooler climate tends to provide a nice spine of acidity that keeps it from feeling too soft and flabby. Olga Raffault is a long standing organic producer from the portfolio of legendary importer Louis/Dressner, and their Rose comes from a mix of several younger/replanted parcels in vineyards used for their single site red wines. Very salmon-y color in the glass, the aromas are full of cherry skin and succulent herbs as well as an almost citrusy or melon peel tone. The palate is rounder and juicier than a similar Provencal Rose but just from a mouthfeel and texture point of view, polished and silky but still very dry and quenching with just a tickle of acidity and crispness to the finish. The palate is crisper straight out of the fridge, but the aromas pop more the longer it's open, so you can find your happy balance as you sip on it over some snacks or light dinner fare. 

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