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2021 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier
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: | 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% |
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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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Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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Loire Valley Wine Route Sampler
12-Bottle Sampler France | Loire
Sampler Includes:
2023 Vin de France Brut “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?” • Catherine & Pierre Breton $25.00
2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte” • Eric Chevalier $22.00
2023 Quincy • Domaine Trotereau $27.00
2023 Vouvray • Champalou $28.00
2023 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes” • Régis Minet $34.00
2023 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé • Domaine de Reuilly $24.00
2023 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes” • Domaine de la Chanteleuserie $18.00
2023 Chinon “Les Granges” • Bernard Baudry $27.00
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau • Catherine & Pierre Breton $29.00
2023 Sancerre Rouge • Daniel Chotard $40.00
2022 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes” • Domaine des Roches Neuves $42.00
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray” • Grange Saint Sauveur $49.00
Normally $363.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $269.00
(a 25% discount)
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2022 Sancerre Rouge
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2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
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2023 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
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2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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2023 Chinon Rosé
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2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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Loire Valley Wine Route Sampler
A glimpse into the quintessential vigneron lifestyle of the Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
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Vouvray Brut
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
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.