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NV Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre BretonSome call this playful Champagne-method sparkler a “porch-pounder,” but since you may be socializing in other outdoor spaces this summer, I would add “rooftop-rouser” or “garden-guzzler.” Catherine’s Dilettante line of Vouvrays, clearly coaxed to life by the hand of a hedonist, expresses the most joyful side of Chenin Blanc. Try whetting your appetite with this festive bottling before a party, or pop it open as the last bottle of the night, just before the sun comes up.
—Jane Berg
Jennifer's Pick
Any cheese’s best friend, this bright and vivacious Chenin Blanc has celebration as its raison d’etre.
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | N.V. |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 40 years, 5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine is raised for a minimum of 12 months before bottling and a minimum of 11 months after. |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
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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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2022 Chardonnay
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2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2018 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
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2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
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2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
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2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Chardonnay
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2021 Sancerre Rouge
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171