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2021 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie
Boucard’s youthful Cuvée Alouettes will hit the spot every time the mood strikes. The craving may begin with a thirst for something luminous and fresh, maybe a touch earthy. For a moment you might consider opening an Italian rosso, a Dolcetto, perhaps? Or something delicate and pretty, like an Alsatian Pinot. But lovely as those may be, neither will do. And then, like a beacon on the horizon, you see it: that peppery, mouthwatering bottle of pure Cabernet Franc. Vinified with a gentle, terroir-focused touch—few reds will slake your thirst with the ease and finesse of Cuvée Alouettes.
—Jane Augustine
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine de la Chanteleuserie |
Winemaker: | Thierry Boucard |
Vineyard: | Planted from 1967 - 1980, 8 ha |
Soil: | Sand, Clay |
Aging: | Fermented and aged in stainless steel cuves |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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Given light treatment in the cellar, this wine shows off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form.

2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
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It is fresh and buoyant enough for casual fare yet has the stuffing to accompany heartier dishes, while its vivid raspberry fruit makes it extremely approachable today, notwithstanding its medium-term aging potential.

2024 Bourgueil Rosé
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Pretty and elegant, with a taste of fresh peaches and nectarines, it is perfect for your summer table.

2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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Thierry’s Saumur Blancs are bone-dry, high-acid, mineral Chenin Blancs that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time.

Touraine “Fines Bulles”
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Made in the méthode traditionnelle with direct-press Cabernet Franc, it is a light, bright, and festive bubbly meant to be drunk cold and often.

2024 Vin de France Rosé Brut “Elle est pas bulle la vie?”
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It’s refreshingly bright on the palate, flush with delicate notes of strawberry rhubarb, and dangerously quaffable.

2023 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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Showing off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form, rife with aromas of roses, damp earth, and little red berries.

2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This dry Chenin Blanc is etched from the white limestone beneath—crystalline, pure, and chiseled.

2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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Intensely dry and mineral, the structured Les Arceaux is a bottle to pair with a meal rather than to drink as an apéritif.

2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
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Sourced from 110+ year-old vines, this is hands-down one of the best Cab Francs being made in the Loire Valley today.
About The Producer
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie
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
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton 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