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1994 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre BretonThere’s something to be said for consistency. At least we believe that in our Berkeley retail shop. It’s a small group of domaines who produce top-quality wine, year in, year out—and in some cases, decade in, decade out. Names like Vieux Télégraphe, Tempier, and Clape come to mind, as does Catherine and Pierre Breton.
Like the aforementioned producers, the Bretons run a benchmark domaine for their region, creating wines of such character that not only is their reputation held in high esteem, but also it is said that they have brought the rest of the Loire with them.
**Extremely limited quantities, maximum 8 bottles per purchase**
—Clark Z. Terry
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 1994 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Pierre Breton |
Vineyard: | 40 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Silicieous Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in 550-L barriques for two years before being bottled unfiltered and unfined |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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Bottled without any sulfur whatsoever, here is a seriously playful Cab Franc from the masters of vinous fun.
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Fresh and punchy Cabernet Franc from fun-loving Catherine and Pierre Breton. Light, juicy, and ready to go. Drink young, drink chilled, drink plenty.
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
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
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2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
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