2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
The Bretons may act carefree, but their immense pride in the Loire and the AOCs of the Touraine region mean they are committed to making serious wines, too. The historical Clos Sénéchal, a top terroir bottling from the estate, marries sapid old-vine fruit with healthy soils of clay, limestone, and tuffeau. The resulting wine is a spicy, plummy treat that tastes three-dimensional and ages like a fine Pinot.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 40 years, 1.3 ha |
Soil: | Gravel, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | The wine is macerated in open wood vats and fermented and aged in wooden foudres. It is bottled without fining or filtration after 18 months of aging. |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Chinon
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Val de 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.
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire | Sancerre
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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