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Arbois Chardonnay “Lou” 2023 Michel Gahier
The 2023 Arbois Chardonnay “Lou” by Michel Gahier is one of the winemaker’s more recent cuvées, produced in Montigny-lès-Arsures, a village in the Jura particularly renowned for its Trousseau. “Lou” comes from a parcel of approximately 45-year-old Chardonnay vines acquired by Gahier from his brother-in-law, offering a particularly pure and mineral interpretation of Jura Chardonnay.
The wine is made in the ouillé style, clearly distinguishing it from the oxidative, sous voile wines for which the Jura is also famous. The barrels are regularly topped up during ageing, limiting oxygen exposure and preserving freshness, aromatic purity and tension. This approach allows the Chardonnay to retain its varietal character while developing the distinctive complexity associated with the Jura.
The wine is fermented and matured in demi-muids, where it undergoes an extended ageing period. The oak remains discreet, allowing the fruit and mineral character of the terroir to remain at the forefront. The result is a wine in which Chardonnay’s natural richness meets the freshness and tension of the Jura.
The nose reveals citrus and white fruit, accompanied by subtle herbal and spicy nuances and an increasingly pronounced mineral character. Rather than being overtly rich, the profile is precise and dynamic, with a particularly expressive fruit character supported by an underlying mineral intensity.
The palate is dry, fresh and vibrant, driven by lively acidity and a saline structure that carries the wine through a long finish. Its appeal lies in the balance between texture, freshness and minerality: a Chardonnay that remains recognisable as a grape variety while speaking with an unmistakably Jurassian accent.
A refined and highly gastronomic white, ideal for exploring Jura through an authentic expression of ouillé Chardonnay. It is particularly well suited to fish, shellfish, poultry, mushrooms and mature Jura cheeses, where its freshness and mineral character find a natural counterpart.
