Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault
The Raffault family has cultivated vines in Chinon for 14 generations, since 1693. The late Jean-Maurice Raffault, father of the current winemaker Rodolphe, was one the great personalities of Chinon. Upon taking over the family domain in 1973, he abandoned polyculture in favor of the cultivation of only wine grapes and began purchasing and planting some of the best sites in the area, including shares in the legendary Les Picasses vineyard. However, his greatest claim to fame may be jump-starting the practice lieu-dit in the region — that is, of vinifying Chinon parcels separately to capture the typicity of each terroir, using the name of the individual sites for the their respective wines. Naming Chinons with site names is now commonplace in the appellation. Rodolphe Raffault succeeded his father in 1997. Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault now extends across 50 hectares in 7 communes and is certified organic.
