1985 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  7/30/2010, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (BRETON Les Perrieres) 1985 Breton et al Dear Friends, This one’s for “Brooklynguy” and the wine geek faithful and it’s a doozy of a mixed 4-pack. The wine geek crowd has a bad reputation – they reside in Fort Greene or the Mission – they have to scrape together a few extra centimes from their rusty Vespa just to afford a bottle of declassified de Moore Chablis, etc, etc – of course, this generalization (while true to a certain extent) is far from accurate. We are all Wine Geeks – Park Avenue or 17th and Dolores. The uniting factor? Wine and the vivid curiosity it instills in all of us. As Americans, we may not have the longest vinous tradition or the most admired gastronomic culture in the world but we sure know how to nod our head in appreciation for something that could not possibly be produced on our side of the Atlantic. Case in point – aged Loire Cabernet Franc - an oddity of eccentric brilliance that few on our side of the water have had the chance to wrap a mineral crusted embrace around. Today’s offer is rare – very rare. It is a direct cellar release of old vintages of Breton’s most treasured Cabernet Franc – Les Perrieres. Bordeaux may lay claim to some of the world’s most famous growers of Cabernet Franc but its holy grail lies firmly in the narrow belt between Chinon and Saumur, with Bourgueil directly (and eccentrically) in the center. Say what you will about Catherine and Pierre (the current generation at Breton, this is not Guy Breton) but their vineyard work and methodology have inspired hundreds (thousands?) of would-be natural winemakers from every corner of France and beyond. They are the “coolio” patron saints of the natural age in winemaking and the rock-solid purity (no pun intended) achieved in their wines speaks for itself. No longer a part of Louis/Dressner (a big mistake on Breton’s part), the cellars in Bourgueil have been opened and today’s mixed four pack is the result (it took all of one day for this four vintage vertical to sell out at Breton – we secured it a few months ago). It gives the wine enthusiast a glimpse into the history of the region, the past generation at Breton and of this specific parcel of Cabernet Franc that is among the most admired in all of France. As far as I'm concerned, no astute wine collection is complete without a stash of cellared treasures from this emotional red wine region of the Loire. Here you go... ONE SMALL SHIPMENT ONLY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a one-off peak into a world that is mostly unknown to North Americans – the world of aged Chinon and Bourgueil. This parcel has impeccable provenance and all four vintages should continue to ascend their peak drinking window for another decade (decant all four vintages at least two hours in advance). I can only imagine the tasting dinners that will ensue... Domaine Breton Bourgueil “Les Perrieres” 4-Pack - Four bottles in each pack: 1 – 1985 1 – 1993 1 – 1996 1 – 1999 Please give us your maximum number up to 3 x 4-packs (12 total bottles) and we will allocate accordingly (if we run out, the winery still has some 1985 available for individual sale but I believe the other vintages are gone). To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is on the water – it will arrive in the late summer (please check OARS for local pick up in September). It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Loire7110 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.