Collection: Pascal Janvier

This is our first vintage importing Pascal Janvier! Pascal looks after no less than 66 parcels of vines covering 9 hectares. The wines are classic in style and are of particular interest, at very reasonable prices. Pascal began his working life as a butcher, turning to the grape life in 1991. Chris Santini of Santini in Auxey-Duresses, put me onto this address. Chris works with Kermit Lynch so the introduction was made.

The Loir estuary sits above the Loire River and is a fertile, beautiful, quieter place to visit than the Loire River. Less touristy, beautiful gardens and quaint waterways. It really is like taking a step back in time. Jasnieres and Coteux du Loir are minute wine regions that are hard to find, both sought after for their structured savoury Chenin Blancs.

Andrew Jefford, The New France...
“Jasnieres and the larger neighbouring AOC of Coteux du Loir. Jasnieres is the cru of these slopes, and it AOC is for white wines based on the Chenin Blanc grape alone, grown on flint, clay and limestone soils into which the tinkling Loir has carved its course. The geology, however, is less important here than topography and latitude: these are, for the late ripening Chenin Blanc, almost arctic conditions, and its cultivation is only possible thanks to south facing slopes and tough minded growers. Great Jasnieres is France’s riposte to Germany’s classical Saar Riesling. These are, in other words, piano wire wines out on the far edge of ripeness. Their apple and grapefruit flavours can have a shocking, jangling intensity; the juices seem drawn from a cold stone well rather than from vines on a sun warm hillside. Yet with late harvesting even these wines can begin to hint at honey and apricot.”