Michel Gahier - Trousseau Arbois 'Les Bérangers' 2023 (Magnum)

The Gahier family has been resident in the Jura since 1525. The family domaine is 6.5 hectares with the vineyards concentrated in the village of Montigny-les-Arsures, the place recognized as the home of Trousseau. Michel Gahier has learned from the best, as neighbor and friend of Jacques Puffeney. His observations and ongoing dialogue with Puffeney have instilled skills and sensibility that produce undeniably outstanding wines that clearly express the very particular terroir of this corner of the Jura.

Gahier harvests and vinifies his wines parcel by parcel. Each wine ultimately is derived exclusively from a single vineyard site. His whites are produced both ouille (topped-up) and sous voile (left to form a protective veil of yeast), though all have a minerality that distinguishes them as jurassien. The Vin Jaune is a testament to the old traditions of the Jura, and many of Gahier's Vin Jaune barrels are a century old, acquired from Jacques Puffeney's cellar after his retirement. The same "yeast mother" living in these barrels that nurtured Puffeney's wine for so many years is now safely ensconced at chez Gahier.

Gahier's home base of Montigny-les-Arsures is known charmingly as "The Capital of Trousseau," and may well produce the most thrilling, layered, and dynamic renderings of the grape variety in the entire Arbois appellation. Gahier's viticulture is organic; the reds are destemmed; the yields are quite low (averaging 30 hectoliters per hectare). There is a period of cold maceration followed by a cuvaison of approximately one month with some pigeage done in the initial parts of the process. The wines, both white and red, are bottled without filtration.

Lying next to “Les Grands Vergers” is the equally well-situated vineyard of “Les Bérangères,” the source for the legendary red cuvée from Gahier’s neighbor, Jacques Puffeney. Earlier in his career, out of respect for his mentor, Gahier did not put this vineyard name on his bottles. Now with the retirement of the “Pope of Arbois,” Gahier releases a wine (only in magnum) designated from the fabled vineyard. This is a classic interpretation of Trousseau from perhaps its best spot in the entire appellation—a wine that will reward many years of cellaring.

Producer: Michel Gahier

Country: France

Region: Jura

Varietal: Trousseau

Appellation: Arbois

Vintage: 2023

Size: 1.5L