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2015 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal JanvierDo yourself a favor and give this gem a taste. It might be the most unusual, most delicious, and least expensive top-quality sweet wine you have ever tried. A pure Chenin Blanc, hand picked from a special selection of late-harvest grapes in the tiny appellation of Jasnières, this cuvée was made in miniscule quantities. It showcases an awesome combination of smooth, pure, decadent Chenin fruit and super-complex terroir—smoke, peat, exotic spices, and volcanic stoniness. Serve it as dessert, in and of itself, or as a palate-stimulating apéritif. We in the U.S. haven’t acquired the French habit of serving a sweet wine to start the evening, but it is worth a try. It works, especially with a knockout winner like this.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Jasnières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Pascal Janvier |
Vineyard: | 35-40 years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Jasnières
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2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
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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.
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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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.
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
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This red is 100% Pineau d’Aunis, an indigenous red grape we hold dear to our collective hearts because of its mystifying aromatics and bright, juicy texture.
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.
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2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
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2022 Sancerre Rosé “Le Colombier”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch