2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
When I was a kid, I loved the way cold swimming pool water smelled when splashed onto the blazing hot pavement. I would lie facedown in the puddle, inhaling the aromas of the steaming wet stone, at least until the surface started to heat up again and I’d have to do another cannonball. I don’t get a chance to do this much anymore, but I can certainly indulge in another iconic summertime practice: sipping a cool glass of Cuvée du Silex from Janvier.
I know now that the wet stone analogy would be a good way to express “minerality” and, short of eating a juicy nectarine while lying beside the pool under a honeysuckle bush, I don’t know how better to describe the flinty beauty of the Silex. This Chenin Blanc has a tart sweetness, or perhaps a sweet tartness—with neither overbearing—that epitomizes good balance and will have you greedily reaching for your glass. Don’t stay on the edge—dive in!
—Jennifer Oakes
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Coteaux du Loir |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Pascal Janvier |
Winemaker: | Pascal Janvier |
Vineyard: | 35 - 40 years, 6 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Flint, Limestone |
Aging: | Another racking takes place after fermentation, then the wines age for a few more months before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Jasnières
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Coteaux du Loir
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Jasnières
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Jasnières
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire | Vin de France
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgeuil
Daniel Chotard France | Loire | Sancerre
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa