Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch! 2021

Rabelais, the lover of all things good in life, used the word “trinch” like “cheers.” This welcoming wine comes from a blend of gravel and clay soils. Made to drink young, it is packed with red fruits from biodynamically grown grapes. Fresh acidity and just a modicum of tannins have produced a wine to drink now.

A punchy, bistro-style Bourgueil that’s both structured and glouglou, may be the most quintessential Breton cuvée of the lot. Young-vine Cabernet Franc, full of energetic vigor, is gently de-stemmed and cold-macerated in stainless steel to ensure maximal fruit expression. When served chilled, this bottling smells like a gravel road after a summer rain, firm and fresh, and leaves me craving a cold slab of terrine or gamey pâté.