In the glass
Aroma: quince, honeysuckle, wet stone, beeswax, lemon blossom
Palate: yellow apple, pear, saline mineral, long honeyed finish
The Foucault brothers' cult Chenin Blanc from the Breze hillside at Coteaux de Saumur. Dense, mineral and lanolin-textured, with quince and beeswax built for two decades of cellaring.
What it pairs with
-
Roast turbot with beurre blanc
Loire butter sauce and the wine's pear-and-saline length are aligned. -
Veal blanquette with morels
Cream and mushroom meet the wine's honeyed beeswax register. -
Mature Comte 30 months
Crystalline nutty cheese sharpens the wine's mineral length. -
Roast poularde de Bresse with truffle
Luxurious poultry and the wine's full-bodied honeyed register align elegantly.
History
Breze is Clos Rougeard's cult white from the steep Breze hillside, source of the a profound Chenin Blanc white. The Foucault brothers established the modern cuvee in the late 1980s; the parcel continues under the Bouygues family.
- 1988 — First vintage of the modern Breze Chenin
Facts
- Producer
- Clos Rougeard
- Grapes
- Chenin Blanc (100%)
- Classification
- Saumur AOC
- Oak
- 16 to 20 months in oak barriques on lees, around 25 percent new
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- EUR 250 to 600 at retail
- Drinking window
- 8 to 30 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1988
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Scores
- Wine Advocate 96 (2015 vintage, reviewed 2019)
- Vinous 95 (2018 vintage, reviewed 2021)
Frequently asked about Breze
What does Breze taste like?
Quince, honeysuckle, wet stone, beeswax and lemon blossom on the nose; yellow apple, pear, saline mineral and a long honeyed finish on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity.
When should I drink Breze?
Drink between 8 and 30 years from vintage. Serve at 11 to 13C; the wine rewards a decade or more of bottle age.
What food pairs with Breze?
Roast turbot with beurre blanc, veal blanquette with morels, mature Comte 30 months, and roast poularde de Bresse with truffle are all canonical matches.
Where is Breze made?
From the Breze hillside at Coteaux de Saumur, the source of one of the appellations long-ageing Chenin Blanc whites. The wine is bottled under the Saumur AOC.