Notify me
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre BretonWith three decades’ worth of Loire harvests under her belt with her husband, Pierre, plus her own “dabbling” with Chenin Blanc since 2002, Catherine Breton is undeniably an authority on biodynamic farming and natural winemaking. Using these methods, she produces this fine sparkling Vouvray—bone-dry thanks to an extremely low dosage, richly honeyed and complex from refermentation in bottle, and mouthwateringly stony from the flinty soil. More than two decades after vinifying her first Vouvray, it appears Catherine is “La Dilettante” no more.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | NV |
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: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
France | Loire
Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.
2021 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
France | Loire
This wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish.
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.
2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
France | Loire
Bottled without any sulfur whatsoever, here is a seriously playful Cab Franc from the masters of vinous fun.
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
France | Loire
There isn’t a spot in the world better suited for Cabernet Franc, and their old vines produce the raw material for one of the best reds in the Loire valley.
2023 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
France | Loire
Delicate, precise, and succulent at the same time, this beautiful blanc will pair well with fresh seafood and light summer salads and pastas.
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
France | Loire
Fresh and punchy Cabernet Franc from fun-loving Catherine and Pierre Breton. Light, juicy, and ready to go. Drink young, drink chilled, drink plenty.
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
France | Loire
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.
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
France | Loire
A delicate, aromatic red in the “drink now!” vein.
2022 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.
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
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2023 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2023 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
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