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2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton
Outrageously vibrant, with scads of brisk red and blue fruit, graphite, and tomato leaf. So good.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 40-60 years old, 2.3 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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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.
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2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
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2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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2020 Vin de France Blanche
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2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
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2022 Sancerre Rouge
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2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
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2023 Sancerre Rouge
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.