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2021 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal JanvierWhen 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: | 2021 |
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: | 11.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
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2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This chiseled Chenin Blanc comes from 70-year-old vines planted on an ancient limestone slope. Burgundian-like in character from its time spent in barrel, the laser-like acidity will become even more enticing with some age.
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2022 Jasnières
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Racy, slightly honeyed, exotically perfumed, and loaded with minerality, this wine is an excellent representation of how Chenin reacts to the local conditions.
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
France | Loire
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.
Vouvray Brut
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From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
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It might be the most unusual and most delicious top-quality sweet wine you have ever tried: a pure Chenin Blanc from a special selection of late-harvest grapes in the appellation of Jasnière.
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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Simply gorgeous, the Cris is sublimely perfumed, generous on the palate, and long and saline on the elegant finish.
About The Producer
Pascal Janvier
About The Region
Loire
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.
More from Loire or France
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2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
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2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
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2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
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2022 Vouvray
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2022 Sancerre
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2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Champs d’Alligny
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch