Catherine & Pierre Breton ‘Un chien dans un jeu quilles’ Rouge 2025

Location: France, Loire, Bourgeuil

Winemaker: Catherine & Pierre Breton

Grapes: Pineau d’Aunis

Soil: Loam

Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand harvest. Whole cluster fermentation with wild yeast for 15 days, with light punchdowns every two days during the second week. Aged in oak until March.

The translation of the wine's name is "a bull in a china shop." A "jeu de quilles" is a game of bowling, but in this context "quilles" takes on both its standard meaning "bowling pin," and its French slang definition, "a bottle of wine." The wine is endearingly named after Paul Breton who vinifies the cuvée.

From us at M&L: A poster of Catherine and Pierre’s wine has hung in the shop since day one, a testimony to our memories of their legendary wines of Bourgeuil. We’re blessed again by the couple’s passion and skill with the release, for the first time in Maine, the ‘La Ritournelle’ Rosé 2022! Catherine and Pierre continue to be experts in capturing the perfect balance of earth to fruit that makes Cabernet Franc shine!

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.