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2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel BrégeonIf you’re not familiar with Folle Blanche, don’t fret. This typically lean, bright variety is most notable for its use in the making of spirits such as Armangac and Cognac. Here, however, the grapes are macerated for three weeks. The resulting skin-contact wine is redolent of blood orange and hyssop—a perfect apéritif for olives and anchovies.
—Allyson Noman
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Folle Blanche |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | André-Michel Brégeon |
Winemaker: | Fred Lailler |
Vineyard: | 40 years average, 10 ha total |
Soil: | Gabbro |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 9% |
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2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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2022 Chinon Blanc
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A rare Chenin Blanc from the land of Cabernet Franc. Ultra fresh and brimming with citrus blossom and orchard fruit notes, it has a saline, mineral finish that leaves my palate simultaneously satisfied and begging for more. Try it with fresh trout, grilled whole topped with chimichurri or smoked and tossed into a Niçoise salad.
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
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2021 Vin de France Blanche
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This skin-contact wine is redolent of blood orange and hyssop—a perfect apéritif for olives and anchovies.
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
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2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit, myrtle, and notes of warm licorice.
About The Producer
André-Michel Brégeon
Michel Brégeon is part renegade, part crusader, and full-blown terroirist, ardently defending the Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine terroir. Thanks to his deep understanding of the land, he plays the game much differently than the region’s caves cooperatives and negociants, who produce en masse and lose the subtlety of the appellation. He worked for his family’s domaine before setting out on his own in 1975. When his father retired in 1989, he gave his remaining vineyard land to Michel. Today, Michel farms seven hectares of vineyards in clay, silica, and gabbro soils. Gabbro is old, blue-green, volcanic rock, rarely found in vineyard land. Formed by magma eruptions under the ocean floor, it imparts intense complexity to Michel’s wines.
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
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1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
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2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.