2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
This cuvée is the Bretons’ argument that serious, age-worthy wine from a top-notch terroir can be made without adding sulfur—an incredibly difficult and scientific feat, which they have masterfully achieved here. The profile is slightly brighter and more red-fruited than the dark-fruited Chinon, but a sneaky, smooth tannin reaffirms its staying power.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 50 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | The wine is vinified in barriques and kept in wood for a year then bottled the following December a little over a year after harvest |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
6-Bottle Sampler France | Loire
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
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
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Daniel Chotard France | Loire | Sancerre
Régis Minet France | Loire | Pouilly Fumé
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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