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2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton
Sourced from fifty-year-old vines and vinified carbonically à la Beaujoloise by France and Baptiste. The nose is deliciously spicy, and the palate leads with a cool raspberry note. Subtle stony and earthy notes add a bit of mystery.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 2 ha, vines 30 years old |
Soil: | Gravel |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region

Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
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2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
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This wine in the Breton book is a pure old-vine Grolleau from soils of clay and silex.

2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
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Serve it with a slight chill, and you’ll have a satisfyingly fresh red with medium fruit and a light dusting of herbs and tannin.

2023 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
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Delicious and honest naturally sparkling Chenin, bottled with no dosage and no sulfur.

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Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.

2020 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.

2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
About The Producer
Catherine & Pierre Breton
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 Kimmeridgian 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
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
Prieuré de Saint Céols France | Loire
2024 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
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2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
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2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
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2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
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2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
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2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
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2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
Prieuré de Saint Céols France | Loire
2024 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174