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2023 Vin de France Rosé Brut “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
Catherine & Pierre Breton

Cartoonist Michel Tolmer depicts a joyous scene on the label of this pét-nat: two bon vivants sharing not one but two bottles of sparkling rosé, bubbles flowing confetti-like from their glasses. Made from 100% Grolleau in the méthode traditionnelle style with no dosage, Paul Breton has bottled this same joie de vivre. It’s refreshingly bright on the palate, flush with delicate notes of strawberry rhubarb, and dangerously quaffable. So look no further for the perfect apéritif to close out the work day or usher in the weekend. “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?” as they say chez Breton. Life isn’t so bad.
—Meghan Foley
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grolleau |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Paul Breton |
Soil: | Gravel |
Aging: | Aged in cement tank |
Farming: | Organic (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 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
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2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
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2023 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
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2022 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2023 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Le Prieuré”
Prieuré de Saint Céols France | Loire
2021 Chinon
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré 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