Pascal Janvier

Pascal Janvier never planned on becoming a vigneron. Though his parents had vineyard land of their own, they did not make their own wine. Instead, he went to school to learn butchery. However, Pascal made a sudden about-face at the age of thirty and decided to study winegrowing in Amboise. His serious and soft-spoken demeanor reflects a man prone to quiet contemplation and great deliberation. His decision was anything but a whim. Starting slowly, he has mastered his craft with a focus and passion that is contributing towards the revival of the small appellation of Jasnières, in the department of the Sarthe in the Val du Loir. The Loir is a tributary of the Loire River, and its viticultural area is the most northerly (and coldest) of the greater Loire region. The once proud appellations of Jasnières and the Coteaux du Loir (the preferred wines of King Henri IV) are now all but extinct, with still less than one hundred and two hundred hectares still respectively under vine. Pascal, with the help of his wife Dominique, is doing his part to remind everyone what Jasnières is capable of.

The Janviers rent sixty-six different parcels (a total of nine hectares) of land and farm it entirely themselves. Jasnières produces some of the best dry Chenin Blanc (Pineau de la Loire) in the world, and its wines are said to reach their peak ten years after the vintage. The soils of their parcels are comprised of clay, limestone, sand and silex (flint), and are planted primarily to Chenin Blanc. KLWM imports one bottling of their red, made from the lighter-bodied and elegant indigenous red grape, Pineau d’Aunis. Their “Cuvée du Silex” parcel has distinct flint in the soil, lending notes of gunpowder to this beautiful, crisp Chenin. There is no doubt that Pascal and Dominique have chosen the path less traveled, though at the first sip of their wine, one understands why they keep working so hard. Their stunning aromatics and complexity prove them to be one of the greatest values in the KLWM Loire Valley Portfolio, along with the celebrated wines of Château d’Epiré. If over-alcoholic wines are getting to you, Pascal Janvier’s wines are a great refuge.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Coteaux du Loir Blanc	Chenin Blanc	15 years	Clay	1.4 ha
Jasnières	Chenin Blanc	35 - 40 years	Clay, Limestone	6 ha
Jasnières "Cuvée du Silex"	Chenin Blanc	35 - 40 years	Clay, Flint, Limestone	6 ha
Jasnières " Trie Cuvée Sainte Narcisse"	Chenin Blanc	35 - 40 years	Clay, Limestone	6 ha
Coteaux du Loir Rouge "Cuvée du Rosier"	Pineau d'Aunis	25 years	Clay, Sand	1.6 ha
Vin de France Blanc Chenin Blanc	Chenin Blanc	N/A	Limestone	N/A
Vin de France Rouge Pineau d’Aunis	Pineau d’Aunis	N/A	Limestone	1 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

Whites:

• The grapes undergo a two-hour pressing following the harvest.

• The juice is then put in cuve for twelve to twenty-four hours, is racked, and then begins alcoholic fermentation. Temperatures during fermentation are monitored and must not pass 20 – 25 degrees Celsius. Sugar levels are monitored daily. Fermentation is monitored daily and stops when equilibrium is found between the acidity and sugar.

• Another racking takes place after fermentation, then the wines age on fine lees in stainless steel cuve for a few more months before bottling.

Red:

• The grapes are de-stemmed following the harvest, and then put in cuve for primary fermentation.

• Pump-overs are done once a day for the extraction of color and oxygenation of the yeasts. Sugar levels are monitored daily.

• After alcoholic fermentation finishes, the must is pressed.

• The wine is racked before starting malolactic fermentation.

• After malolactic is finished, the wine is racked again and bottled.