Les Grandes Vignes - 'Cabernet Breton' - Cabernet Franc - Anjou, FR - 2021

Notes from the Winery/Importer

A pure, unadorned Cabernet Franc—fresh, savory, and mineral-driven, with gentle structure and zero makeup. Earthy Loire energy with a natural-wine edge, but disciplined and food-friendly rather than funky.

Terroir
• Gravelly, stony, and clay soils
• Resting on weathered falun (fossil-rich limestone)
Yield
• 35 hectoliters per hectare
Vinification
• Destemmed fruit
• 15 days maceration on skins
• After pressing, juice aged 6 months in barrel, where both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place
• Followed by 12 months in concrete tank before bottling
• No filtration
• No added sulfites
Analytical Data
• Alcohol: 13.48% ABV
• Total acidity: 3.40 g/L
• Volatile acidity: 0.72 g/L
• Total SO₂: Not detectable (naturally)
Service
• Serve at 12°C (54°F)

Notes on the Producer

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.