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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre BretonCatherine and Pierre’s son, Paul, has set up shop in Vouvray, working in his own small cave about an hour upriver from the domaine’s headquarters in Bourgueil. Catherine’s family hails from here, and Paul has taken it upon himself to replant and make wine from a parcel his grandparents once farmed called Bois Guyon. While they produced a late-harvest moelleux, 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, salty-sweet yakitori, or buffalo chicken wings.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Paul Breton |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2016 |
Soil: | Clay, flint |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
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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.
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2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
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2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
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2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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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