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2019 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
Catherine & Pierre BretonThis cuvée is the Bretons’ argument that serious, age-worthy wine from a top-notch terroir can be made without adding sulfur—an incredibly difficult and scientific feat, which they have masterfully achieved here. The profile is slightly brighter and more red-fruited than the dark-fruited Chinon, but a sneaky, smooth tannin reaffirms its staying power.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 50 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | The wine is vinified in barriques and kept in wood for a year then bottled the following December a little over a year after harvest |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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There isn’t a spot in the world better suited for Cabernet Franc, and their old vines produce the raw material for one of the best reds in the Loire valley.
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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Brisk red-fruited twang, some herbaceous zest, and an absolutely mouthwatering zingy finish.
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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Fresh and punchy Cabernet Franc from fun-loving Catherine and Pierre Breton. Light, juicy, and ready to go. Drink young, drink chilled, drink plenty.
2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
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Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.
2022 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.
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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Delicate, precise, and succulent at the same time, this beautiful blanc will pair well with fresh seafood and light summer salads and pastas.
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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This wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish.
2019 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 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
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
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2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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2022 Vouvray
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2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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2021 Vin de France Blanche
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2021 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch