Catherine & Pierre Breton ‘La Dilettante’ Vouvray Blanc 2021
Location: France, Loire, Vouvray
Winemaker: Catherine & Pierre Breton
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
Soil: Clay, limestone
From us at M&L: As a team, they are legendary, but today we are focusing on Catherine’s work in particular - since 2002 she has been “dabbling” with old vines of Chenin Blanc from nearby Vouvray and (to say that this is a modest characterization on her part would be an understatement!). Her self-effacing label is cheekly called Dilettante, although she is anything but. There is just as much care and effort put into these wines as the pair’s Bourgueil bottles.
Catherine’s “Dilettante” wines are shiny and long, sophisticated vins de soif. The Vouvray Sec has a rock pool meets honeydew texture with quintessential Chenin succulence and nerve that makes for a revitalizing glass. As versatile as it is delicious, it will be the highlight aperitif or the belle of the grilled drumstick picnic, and we are so pleased to have this back on the shelves!
From the Importer Kermit Lynch: Catherine and Pierre Breton are the real life bon vivants vignerons of lore. They are passionate about what they do, they enjoy sharing it with others, and they entertain with a generosity and charm. That they make great wine with such integrity makes our appreciation of them complete. The Bretons farm eleven hectares of vines just east of Bourgueil in the village of Restigné. They produce Chinon and Bourgueil, as well as a bit of Vouvray, creating honest wines for both early consumption and longer aging. The Bretons first introduced biodynamic practices into their viticulture in 1994, just after receiving their organic certification in 1991. Recently, they started the three-year process of seeking biodynamic certification. In fact, they have become international icons for the natural wine movement in an area where the climate and soil can make organic viticulture difficult.
The Bretons farm vineyards on varied soil types, including gravel, limestone, clay, schist, and yellow tuffeau. Their wines are made primarily from Cabernet Franc (known in the Loire, curiously, as “Breton”) with small quantities of Chenin Blanc for their Vouvray. Though Pierre is the principal cellar master, Catherine makes a series of cuvées under the label “La Dilettante,” or the Dabbler. Together, they divide their wines into three categories: Natural Wines (for easy consumption), Classic Wines (that represent the typicity of the appellations), and Wines of Terroir (vinified individually by parcel). The Wines of Terroir from Chinon and Bourgueil are destined for long life in your cellar. A 1964 made for unforgettable drinking in 2008! Each of the Breton cuvées is unique, with differences in soil, vinification, and élévage all playing a role while still demonstrating a familial resemblance. Catherine and Pierre are two of the hardest working people we know of in the wine business. This explains why their wines, despite the fact that they are totally natural and unadulterated, are so incredibly consistent; consistently delicious. Their achievements and contributions to the natural and organic wine movement globally cannot be underestimated.