Catherine and Pierre Breton have been pioneers of the natural wine movement in Bourgueil for long enough that the label needs no explanation. Certified biodynamic, low-intervention, and eleven hectares of vines they clearly enjoy as much as anyone drinking them. The 2021 comes off gravel from thirty-year-old vines, and that's the whole structure of the wine: bright red fruit, a savory edge through the mid-palate, tannin that's fine rather than gripping. Cabernet Franc with nothing to prove and nothing hiding it.
Tasting Notes
It makes sense when you taste this bottle that the Bretons are famous for their pioneering role in natural wine. You might point to their mastery of organic farming and low-intervention winemaking methods—pillars of the movement—or their cuvées’ universal appeal, which goes in the face of the wine world’s sometimes elitist tendencies. But at the core of things, their cuvée Trinch! simply tastes like a product of nature: it captures the spirit of crushed Cabernet Franc grapes in their purest form, a jolly, slightly hazy nectar of brambles and peppercorn that has made its way into bottle for the sole purpose of our enjoyment.
About 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.
