For everyone that initially enters the Jura wine region, it's immediately apparent that you've stumbled into somewhere special. Tiny towns frozen in time with impossibly charming, rustic cellars filled with the most humble and passionate vignerons. Everything is done a little differently here, but the pure magic of the region in addition to the uniquely delicious wines made stood out immensely. Our time spent with Michel Gahier in 2019 was one of these special visits.

Based in Montigny les Arsures, widely known as the home and capital of Trousseau, the Gahier family has been in the Jura since 1525. When we first arrived, it was clear that linguistic differences might impede communication, so Michel thoughtfully called over a neighbor to translate for us. Cerebral and soft-spoken, he began to explain his philosophy.

Sometimes known as the protegée of famed Jura producer Jacques Puffeney, it was clear after just a few exchanges that Michel was a singular winemaker in his own right. Throughout his 35+ vintages, Gahier's philosophy remains the same: nothing added and nothing taken away. He harvests and vinifies all wines parcel by parcel. Each wine is ultimately derived exclusively from a single vineyard site. The white wines are layered and complex, while his reds are fresh, mineral-driven, and energetic.

These are extraordinary wines, made according to the longstanding traditions of one of the world's most unique wine regions.

What importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant has to say about this wine...

This Champagne-method wine is made from 100% Chardonnay, specifically the local mutation that has a red stem, Melon à Queue Rouge. The yields are quite low at 45 hl/ha. This wine sees no dosage and spends 24 months on the lees before disgorgement. Produced completely naturally, no sulphur is added at any time in its production. Hailing from a 1.2-hectare plot of gravel and limestone soil in the village of Cramans, eight kilometers from Michel’s home in Montigny-lés-Arsures, it displays almond cream, brassy limestone twang, and salty citrus, offering a breadth of texture reined in by firm acidity.