Ah, delicious Chinon! Les Galuches 2009 from J-M Raffault is clear, day bright, solid ruby in color with a slight purple hue, has medium concentration, clear to light fuchsia rim variation, medium-plus viscosity with an ever so slight staining of the tears. The nose has moderate intensity and is youthful. The fruit spectrum represents tart red cherry, cranberry, tart blackberry. The non-fruits are green tea leaf, green peppercorn, black tea, spring foliage stem, fern leaf and a hint of yellow flowers. Oak’s not a factor in this wine, it’s rather neutral, but the minerals are a noticeable wet stone to dry gravel.

The wine is dry with medium-plus body and displays its youthfulness. The fruit is tart on the palate with a smidge of suppleness emerging. The non-fruit flavors are firmly in the pyrazine camp coupled to its dominant mineral profile. There is also a hint of underbrush, necco-wafer-candy-dustiness and black currant. The acid is high; tannins are an inside-cheek-gum grabbing medium-plus; the wine has 13% abv. A nice wine for $15 retail [Liner & Elsen].

Although these notes are mine, I enjoyed watching Erica nail this in blind tasting group this morning. By the time I got a chance to sink my teeth into it, the wine had been open for six hours with a half bottle air gap. This is a clear indication the wine will benefit from decanting.  Eat it with something meaty and fried!

Anthony Garcia
http://twitter.com/wineisdivine