Michel Gahier
Michel Gahier lives in the centre of the village of Montigny-les_Arsures which lies near the central town of Arbois. The reason this is significant is that Montigny is regarded as the finest terroir for the Trousseau grape in the Jura. When we first tasted his wines we were very excited by their purity and their minerality.
Michel Gahier inspects his vines
80 year old Trousseau vines
Michel tends 6 hectares of vines of which 3 hectares are given over to Trousseau and the remainder is split between Chardonnay and Savagnin.
Michel Gahier Arbois Trousseau La Vigne du Louis 2009
The vines for this wine were grown in thick gravel with a limestone substrate on a plot that Michel purchased from his brother two years ago. The vines were planted by his grandfather whose name was Louis. This is a pure Trousseau with a strong structure and a streak of acidity that will help preserve it for some time.
Price: SOLD OUT
Michel Gahier Arbois Trousseau Grands Vergers 2008
The vines for this wine are even older than those used for the La Vigne du
Louis having been planted over 80 years ago. The wine is named after the lieu dit (parcel of land) where the vines
grow. This is a very, very good example of a Trousseau wine having the delicacy
that we associate with this fragile grape but also an extraordinary depth of
flavour and a complexity that is intriguing.
There are tannins present giving it structure but they are not aggressive. The wine is lively on the nose, has deep, deep flavours (hints of cherry and raspberry at the front of the palate and forest floors in autumn in the middle) and it tastes alive. It has a lingering mineral aftertaste. This is a living wine! No sulphur is added.
Price: SOLD OUT: NEW VINTAGE IN MARCH
Michel Gahier Arbois Chardonnay Les Follasses 2009
The
grapes for the Les Follasses, which benefit from limestone and clay soils in the
vineyard are manually harvested and sorted prior to pressing.
The wine is made in the 'ouillé' style where the barrels are topped up during maturation so that the wine does not oxidise in the barrel.
This is a fresh, lively Chardonnay that is typical of this style of wine from the Jura with just a hint of those oxidative qualities that Jura aficionados just can't get enough of. Only 12.5% alcohol.
Price: SOLD OUT: NEW VINTAGE IN MARCH
Michel Gahier Arbois Chardonnay Les Crêts 2007
The
grapes for this wine are also manually harvested and matured in old wood so that
the wine can 'breath' but so that no new oak flavour dominates the wine.
There is the trademark oxidative quality to this wine which provides a nutty spiciness and umami flavour that makes you want to sip more and more of it. This is Jura Chardonnay at its best! There are honey and pear and almond flavours in abundance and a long, lingering minerality that reflects the amazing terroir of the area around Michel's village.
We drank this wine over three days and it held up beautifully right to the end. This is common with wines that have some oxidative qualities.
This wine has a lovely mouth feel. Only 12.5% alcohol.
Price: SOLD OUT
Michel Gahier Arbois Chardonnay La Fauquette 2007
This
is one of our favourite Jura wines. The grapes are sourced from the La Fauquette
vineyard close to Michel's house. This is a 'sous voile' Chardonnay. This
means that the barrel in which it matures is not topped up as with the other two
white cuvées. Instead, as the wine evaporates through the
pores of the barrel a thin veil (voile) of yeast forms on the surface of the
wine and this protects the wine from excessive oxidation. The oxygen that does
penetrate the veil causes it to develop an exciting nutty spiciness that is
incredibly appealing. Chambers Street Wines in New York rave about this wine and
call it 'mellow, pretty, exquisitely balanced and very delicious'. It makes this wine a perfect accompaniment to the great
cheeses of the region especially the famous aged Comté.
Price: SOLD OUT
Michel Gahier Arbois Vin Jaune 2002
Vin Jaune is probably the rarest and most sought after wine of the Jura region. There is just not enough of it made. It takes a long time for it to be ready (by law it has to age in wooden barrels for a minimum of six years and three months). While it is aging much of the volume evaporates leaving only small quantities to bottle. The wine must be aged 'sous voile' so the barrels cannot be topped up.
This wine has all the characteristics of a great Jura Vin Jaune. It is nutty and spicy and quite compelling to drink. The finish is incredibly long and lingering. It is a lighter style than others we have tried and hence more nuanced and more delicate. We like to call such a wine a 'contemplative wine' because you need to drink it slowly and think about it a lot.
Price: SOLD OUT
Michel Gahier Vin de Table Vin Mousseux de Qualité
The
Gahier Vin Mousseux de Qualité is a lovely sparkling wine which is made from Chardonnay
in the Methode Traditionnelle style.
It makes for a great aperitif and also is a very good food wine. It has a very light bead and yeasty overtones, that characteristic Jura expression and a long, lingering finish.
This is a lovely example of the sparkling style of winemaking with a persistent bead and some yeasty flavours showing.
Price: SOLD OUT