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Grape: 100% Cabernet Franc
ABV: 12.5%
The Story: One of the Bourgueil superstars is couple Catherine & Pierre Breton - no relation to the Cabernet Breton namesake, or at least we don't think? Founded in 1990, Domaine Breton was a forbearer of natural wine precepts after Pierre studied alongside master vigneron Marcel Lapierre. In fact, the Loire valley’s predisposition to the natural wine ethos can be traced to this meeting of the minds. This prompted a path to organics and then introducing biodynamic principles at the Breton estate, and for more than 20 years, Pierre and Catherine have been a cohesive force holding together not just the notion of of vins libres (free wines) in the Loire but also transmitting much of what has become the spirit of natural wine throughout France, and beyond.
All of this emerges from Domaine Breton, their home base just east of Bourgueil, where their son Paul and daughter France are increasingly taking over the operation since 2018. Their vines range across Chinon, Vouvray, and of course Bourguiel, from the holdings that are continuing to grow from their current 21 hectares of vineyard plots as more plots are added. These days concrete eggs sit in the tidy new cellar along with tronconic wood vats for carbonic work and lots of steel - they have all the modern winery toys. And, there are no fewer than seven Bourgueils coming out of this cellar. The Trinch! is its own cult hit, sought in those bistros of Paris, from young vines 20 years of age, hand harvested, macerated on the skins for 18 days, fermented in steel tank, then aged in neutral oak until bottling in April.
Personality: A punchy, bistro-style Bourgueil that’s both structured and glouglou. Fresh and delicate in style, loaded with fragrant leather, spice, and brambleberry. The finish on this babe is a thing of magic, long washes of delicious red strawberries swirled with jalapeno and crushed gravel.
Harmony: Serve with a slight chill to bring out the minerality, and break out a cold slab of terrine or gamey pâté, and why not a side of duck fat fried potatoes.