VOUVRAY SEC ‘LA DILETTANTE’
DOMAINE PIERRE ET CATHERINE BRETON
Biodynamic - No Sulphur added
A husband-and-wife operation in the Loire Valley, the Breton`s built their reputation on making pure Cabernet Francs from Bourgueil and Chinon using Biodynamic viticulture and vinification from their 10.5 ha estate. Soon, they will be just as well known for their stupendous whites.
The Breton philosophy stems, in their own words, from a love of the land. The vineyards see ultra-intense organic care, no mean feat in this northerly clime; they avoid chemical fertilisers and weed killers, restrict yields to something like 40-45 hl/ha (although some cuvées are below 35 hl/ha) and harvest by hand.
The Bretons use indigenous yeasts and their desire for "natural" winemaking comes through strong in their resistance to the use of sulphur, with typically just 10 mg/l added at bottling to many cuvées, although some are bottled without any sulphur at all. And they are bottled unfiltered.
‘Catherine’s brilliant natural Vouvrays are in two words – de-licious. High toned white fruit notes meld with honeycomb and goats milk wrapped in a loving shroud of sweet blossom.’
`2009 Vouvray La Dilettante is distinctively delightful. Pear, Persian melon, and pineapple dominate the nose and a silken-textured, luscious palate, with subtle chalk and salt inflections in its caressing finish. This vintage-typically generous, relatively low-acid, yet buoyant and (at only 12.2%) almost astonishingly light 2009 should hold its appeal for at least the next 18-24 months."
Robert Parker`s Wine Advocate: 89 points
