This is the Bretons' greatest red, from one of the most prized hillside parcels in Bourgueil.  The terroir is siliceous clay and limestone, and old vines give very low yields of 20 hectoliters/hectare on average.  The maceration is done in open wood vats and the fermentation and élevage is done in 550-L barriques, a variable percentage of which are new.  The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered after two full years in wood. 

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.