2014 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Clos Senechal

Catherine et Pierre Breton own 27 acres of vineyards near Bourgueil, in the Loire Valley. The couple started their commercial winery in 1982 and today produce about 7,000 cases of Chinon, Bourgueil and Vouvray. They have practiced biodynamic farming since 1994. They grow primarily Cabernet Franc, which is often called Breton in the Loire Valley, and Chenin Blanc. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called the couple “icons among France’s sustainable-viticulture set” and notes that “Pierre Breton tailors his vinifications with impressive sensitivity and adaptation to a diversity of terroirs and styles.”

Touraine AOC is a sub-appellation of the Loire Valley, one of France’s largest and most picturesque wine regions. Located around the city of Tours, the region is known as château country because of the many fairy-tale castles located along the Loire River, its tributaries and plains. Touraine was awarded AOC status in 1939 and it includes 13,000 acres and 70 communes. Red, white and rosé wines can be made in this AOC. Red grapes grown in Touraine are Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Pinot Noir. The white wine grapes grown here are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Red Touraines are tannic and sometimes fruity. Whites are dry and full-bodied. Wine writer Hugh Johnson notes that the best reds of Touraine “have all the fragrance and charm of Cabernet Franc.”

This is a parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon. It most likely originates from Basque country. It is an excellent blending grape, known for making the exquisite Cheval-Blanc. Franc is a little hardier on a vine than Sauvignon, but drinks smoothly at the table.