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2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton
This wine is Catherine Breton’s brainchild. It is similar to the Trinch, but vinified using whole-cluster, carbonic maceration. La Dilettante is a delicate, aromatic red in the “drink now!” vein.
—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

2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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2022 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.

2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
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2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
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2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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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
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236