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2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton
Sourced from fifty-year-old vines and vinified carbonically à la Beaujoloise by France and Baptiste. The nose is deliciously spicy, and the palate leads with a cool raspberry note. Subtle stony and earthy notes add a bit of mystery.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 2 ha, vines 30 years old |
Soil: | Gravel |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region

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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 Kimmeridgian 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
2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
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2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
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2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
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2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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2022 Sancerre Rouge
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2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2023 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
Prieuré de Saint Céols France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2016 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
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