Catherine et Pierre Breton 'Le Grolleau' 2024

Catherine and Pierre Breton have been farming biodynamically in the Loire for four decades, back when that meant something different than it does now. They're icons in the natural wine world. This is their Grolleau, an old Loire grape that's basically made for drinking without thinking too hard.

The plot is planted in the middle of the woods in Ingrandes de Touraine, on Senonian sands from the upper slopes of Bourgueillois. Being surrounded by trees keeps things cooler in the summer. Young vines, organic, in conversion.

They hand-harvest, do a short carbonic maceration with whole bunches in concrete, press gently, and let indigenous yeasts do their thing. No SO2. Bottled in February to keep all that fresh, primary energy alive.

Grolleau is crimson when it's young, low in alcohol (this one is 11 per cent), easy to drink, smooth. Raspberry and cherry, a little cranberry snap. Tomato leaf, earth, a peppery fling. Nothing heavy. It won't ask anything of you. 

Have it with spicy tomato butter beans, something with a little heat, a little richness, something that doesn't need to be fancy. Just good.