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2019 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre BretonBased 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: | 2019 |
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: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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Delicious and honest naturally sparkling Chenin, bottled with no dosage and no sulfur.
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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This wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish.
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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.
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
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Sampler Includes:
Vouvray Brut • Champalou $31
2022 Chardonnay • Eric Chevalier $23
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie • Domaine Michel Brégeon $23
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes” • Régis Minet $34
2022 Cheverny Rosé • Domaine du Salvard $21
2022 Chinon Rosé • Bernard Baudry $27
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir • Domaine de Reuilly $26
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier” • Pascal Janvier $26
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir” • Charles Joguet $31
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort” • Catherine & Pierre Breton $31
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine” • Thierry Germain $34
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray” • Grange Saint Sauveur $49
Normally $356.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $267.00
(a 25% discount)
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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2023 Cheverny
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2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
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2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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2022 Sancerre
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2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2021 Sancerre “Racines”
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2022 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
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Loire Valley Farmers’ Market
This delectable 12-pack puts the Loire’s abundant viticultural diversity on full display: sparkling Chenin Blanc, plus crisp and mineral Melon de Bourgogne, and more.
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211