20/08/2026
Michel Gahier La Fauquette 2020
🍇 Melon à Queue Rouge from the lieu-dit La Fauquette, in Montigny-les-Arsures. Soils of blue marl. Pressed into foudre where the wine completed malolactic fermentation and aged without topping up for 1 year. Then racked into smaller barrels for a further 3 years sous-voile.
The nose is initially dominated by pronounced volatile acidity, masking much of the wine’s underlying complexity. For a wine that was never topped up and also aged sous-voile for 3 years, there is not much of an oxidative character. Interestingly, the palate tells an entirely different story from the outset, displaying a minty reductive character and immediate deliciousness. With extended air—ideally 5 to 10 hours—the wine undergoes a dramatic transformation, blossoming into what is perhaps the finest Gahier tasted to date. As the VA gradually integrates, it evolves from a distraction into a lifting force, bringing freshness, energy, and remarkable verve. An irresistibly attractive interplay of reduction and autolysis emerges on the nose, accompanied by aromas of mint, pungent orange peel, white flowers, tropical fruit, banana, vanilla, salted caramel, and abundant chalky minerality. The mouthfeel is creamy and rich, yet impeccably balanced by an acidity that is neither piercing nor lacking. Decadent flavors of toffee, ripe peach, candied ginger, and salted caramel unfold across the palate, while the texture is electrifying—almost like licking a 9-volt battery. The finish is long and savory, lingering with notes of sweet caramel, dark chocolate, citrus bitters, and persistent mineral tension. This may not be a wine for everyone. Those sensitive to VA may never get past it. However, more experienced tasters willing to give it ample time to breathe (even 24h or more) will be rewarded with a fascinating wine. A great example of why La Fauquette is considered as one of Gahier’s best cuvée (94+).
Jura Wine
