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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% |
More from this Producer or Region
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For this Vouvray, Paul has opted for a demi-sec style utterly unique in its combination of honeyed richness and flinty verve. This bottling is hard to resist on its own, but you might also try serving it with a simple cheese platter.
2021 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
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Serve it with a slight chill, and you’ll have a satisfyingly fresh red with medium fruit and a light dusting of herbs and tannin.
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.
2022 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
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This wine in the Breton book is a pure old-vine Grolleau from soils of clay and silex.
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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Brisk red-fruited twang, some herbaceous zest, and an absolutely mouthwatering zingy finish.
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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There isn’t a spot in the world better suited for Cabernet Franc, and their old vines produce the raw material for one of the best reds in the Loire valley.
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.
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2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2022 Chardonnay
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2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Chardonnay
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236