2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
This bottling represents the realization of Michel Brégeon’s lifelong dream to elevate the wine of Muscadet to a loftier status than a simple oyster sipper. He was blessed with the appellation’s greatest terroir, the metamorphic ocean bedrock known locally as gabbro, and has consistently observed over time a remarkable aging potential in his wines that rivals any other white from France. Now, finally, as the appellations are being created to valorize the region’s best terroirs (in this case, Gorges), Michel is able to sell a tiny proportion of his production in the best years at its true worth. This wine can be decanted and enjoyed now or aged for ten years or more for a truly exceptional Melon de Bourgogne experience.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Melon de Bourgogne |
Appellation: | Muscadet |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | André-Michel Brégeon |
Winemaker: | Fred Lailler |
Vineyard: | 50 years average, 7.8 ha total |
Soil: | Gabbro |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Michel Brégeon is part renegade, part crusader, and full-blown terroirist, ardently defending the Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine terroir. Thanks to his deep understanding of the land, he plays the game much differently than the region’s caves cooperatives and negociants, who produce en masse and lose the subtlety of the appellation. He worked for his family’s domaine before setting out on his own in 1975. When his father retired in 1989, he gave his remaining vineyard land to Michel. Today, Michel farms seven hectares of vineyards in clay, silica, and gabbro soils. Gabbro is old, blue-green, volcanic rock, rarely found in vineyard land. Formed by magma eruptions under the ocean floor, it imparts intense complexity to Michel’s wines.
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.
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire | Reuilly
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Château d’Epiré France | Loire | Savennières
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur Champigny
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312
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