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2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton
Catherine and Pierre Breton have handed the keys of their cellar in Bourgueil to their daughter France and her husband, Baptiste, who have made the entire family proud with this light-bodied, whole-cluster vinified, luscious Grolleau made for drinking cool. Épaulé-Jeté lives on!
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grolleau |
Appellation: | Val de Loire |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 60 years, .8 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Silex |
Aging: | Carbonic maceration for 3 weeks in an open-top wood vat, wine is bottled in the April following the harvest |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 10.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

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

2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
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A delicate, aromatic red in the “drink now!” vein.

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

2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
France | Loire
May Club Chevalier ~ Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.

2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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Unique in its combination of honeyed richness and flinty verve. Hard to resist on its own, but you might also try serving it with salty-sweet yakitori or buffalo chicken wings.

2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
France | Loire
Sourced from the village of Beaumont, it is utterly delicious, with a perfect balance of fruit and earth.

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

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.

2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
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Bottled without any sulfur whatsoever, here is a seriously playful Cab Franc from the masters of vinous fun.

2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
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
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2017 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
Touraine “Fines Bulles”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2017 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
Touraine “Fines Bulles”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
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.