Tasting Notes
Rouge du Max is a new wine for Michel Gahier made from vines that were previously owned by his brother who died recently. Michel was helped in the making of this wine by his nephew whose name is Max. The parcel of land where the vines grow is only .25 hectares and grows 1% Mondeuse and 9% Pinot Noir with the rest being the inevitable Trousseau for the area around Cramans which is only a short drive from Michel’s place which is in the very centre of Trousseau country. The soil around Cramans is light with lots of pebbles. The wine was matured in foudre which Michel Gahier uses for all of his red wines. - Importer Note
Michel Gahier is a quiet, yet incredibly talented winemaker based in the small village of Montigny-les-Arsures, in the Arbois region. The Gahier family have been based in this town since the 16th century, and the family Domaine dates back to 1874. Michel, however, is the first in his family to bottle wine.
The village of Montigny is considered to be one of the best sites for Trousseau in the whole of the Jura - something that Michel takes full advantage of. He produces several different cuvees of Trousseau, from his youngest vines "Le Clousot," through to the very top of the tree, "Les Grands Vergers." This comes off 80-year-old vines, planted on graviers soil, and sits directly adjacent to Jacques Puffeney's "Berangeres" vineyard. Puffeney and Gahier are very close friends, and it's no coincidence that their viticulture and winemaking tends to follow the same philosophy.
Michel currently holds 7.5 hectares, all farmed organically, with the rows ploughed by horse, and native plants and grasses grown as cover crops. As Michel says, "the earth chooses the plants it wants." Like many modern-day Jura vignerons, Michel chooses to make vin naturel, - nothing added, nothing taken away. He only adds miniscule amounts of sulphur at bottling, and many of his wines see no sulphur at all.
Apart from his incredible Trousseau, Michel also produces a suite of Chardonnay and Savagnin - a mixture of sous voile styles, as well as the topped-up, ouille wines. He also makes small amounts of Vin Jaune, and a Cremant du Jura sparkling.
All of his cuvees are wonderfully expressive and full of energy. There is a real vibrancy to them, matched only by the wonderful depth and complexity. Not surprisingly, these wines are very much sought after. And with such low production, they never stick around long!
| Product Type | Wine Red Other Varietals & Blends |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Jura |
| Sub Region | Arbois |
| Winemaking Practices | Natural |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |