2003 Raffault Chinon

Chinon is a lovely village in the Loire Valley of France. The white wines of the Loire such as Muscadet, Vouvray, and Sancerre are relatively well known, but the reds are a well kept secret. The villages of Bourgeuil and Chinon make wonderful reds from the Cabernet Franc grape. The wines of Chinon range all the way from light fruity picnic wines to big serious keepers that need to age for ten years. Here's one that we recently had at a French bistro where it went well with all the food. Here's my note from that evening scratched on a napkin - " Wow! What a nose? Beautiful! Strawberry flavors and light to medium body. Good finish. Delicious flavors." The restaurant price was about $25, so the retail price should be a very reasonable $10-20 depending on how much the restaurant marked it up. Not sure if it is available in the Seattle market, but fortunately most Chinon and Bourgeuil are usually pretty reliable and reasonably priced.