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2024 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: | 2024 |
| 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: | 12% |
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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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2021 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch