(3rd August 2008)
Having spent Friday afternoon (1st) and Saturday afternoon (2nd) in the valley of Le Loir visiting three Jasnières producers*, I opened the 1990 Cuvée Clos des Fleuries François Fresneau Jasnières – rich, honeyed, mineral and still very fresh probably would have gone on for another 50 years or so if I hadn’t pulled the cork. The cork was quite short, so this might well have in time limited its life expectancy. It was an excellent aperitif. I must have bought this in 1991 or 1992 when I visited Fresneau in Marçon a village just to the west of La Chartre-sur-Loir, has 14 hectares in the Coteaux du Loir and Jasnières. The family has been making wine here for four generations. I should go back to see them.
* Joël Gigou, Les Maisons Rouges and Le Briseau. Profiles on the full site when launched.
François Fresneau, Domaine de Cezin. 72340 Marçon. Tel: 02.43.44.13.70
Email: earl.francois.fresneau@wanadoo.fr
