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2018 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre BretonPaul Breton, son of Catherine & Pierre Breton
Based in Restigné, in the heart of the Bourgueil AOC, Catherine and Pierre Breton always dabbled in Vouvray, since Catherine's family is based within the Chenin Blanc appellation about an hour’s drive upriver. Now the next generation of Bretons has come of age, and while daughter France holds down the fort in Cabernet Franc country, her brother Paul has chosen to focus entirely on white wines. He even set up his own little cellar in Vouvray, and has taken on new vineyards to increase the family's production of blanc.
Pierres Rousses is a new bottling he launched from a parcel of old vines on flinty soil. He ages it in used barrels, giving it a much different character than the “Dilettante” Vouvray bottling the family has long produced. Paul’s wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish—decidedly old-school Vouvray from a budding young talent!
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 55 years old |
Soil: | Clay, Flint |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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 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.
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
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A delicate, aromatic red in the “drink now!” vein.
2021 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.
2022 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.
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.
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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For this Vouvray, Paul has opted for a demi-sec style utterly unique in its combination of honeyed richness and flinty verve. This bottling is hard to resist on its own, but you might also try serving it with a simple cheese platter.
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
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Dry Champagne-method sparkler that delivers tremendous value.
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 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
France | Loire
A great option when you need to stop your “natty wine” friends in their un-sulfinated tracks. A seriously playful Cab Franc from the masters of vinous fun.
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
2022 Cheverny Rosé
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2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
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2021 Chinon
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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
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2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
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2021 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2022 Cheverny Rosé
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Chinon
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard 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