Notify me
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

2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
France | Loire
This wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish.

2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.

2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
France | Loire
Serve it with a slight chill, and you’ll have a satisfyingly fresh red with medium fruit and a light dusting of herbs and tannin.

2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
France | Loire
The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.

2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
France | Loire
Brisk red-fruited twang, some herbaceous zest, and an absolutely mouthwatering zingy finish.

Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
France | Loire
Dry Champagne-method sparkler that delivers tremendous value.

2020 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
France | Loire
The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.

2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
France | Loire
This wine in the Breton book is a pure old-vine Grolleau from soils of clay and silex.

2023 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
France | Loire
Delicious and honest naturally sparkling Chenin, bottled with no dosage and no sulfur.

2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
France | Loire
May Club Chevalier ~ Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.
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
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” Blanc
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2023 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” Blanc
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2023 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174