Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton

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Winery
Domaine Catherine et Pierre Breton
About Winery

Catherine and Pierre Breton have been running their 15 hectare vineyard along organic lines since 1991; they’ve been biodynamic since 1997. Located between Tours and Samur in the Loire Valley, they specialize in red wines from the Chinon and Bourgueil appellations. They use indigenous yeasts for their fermentations, and only the minimum use of sulfur dioxide (typically 10 mg/litre of SO2 added at bottling). All wines are unfiltered, and the goal is to make wines that express their terroirs and vintage.

Catherine and Pierre Breton

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 businesses. 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.

 

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