Several generations have been necessary to patiently built one of the largest and greatest estates in the area, focused on key appellations such as Château-Chalon, l’Étoile and Arbois. The Domaine MAIRE & Fils covers nowadays 234 hectares of vines producing all the area grapes varieties.
ARBOIS TROUSSEAU VIGNES AUX ÂNES 2022

click on one of the vintages below for further information

2021   2022  

100% Trousseau.

Besides the world-famous Pinot Noir, the Jura has the wealth to hold two native varieties: the Trousseau and the Poulsard.
The Trousseau is a late and demanding grape variety of local origin and requires lighter, gravelly and warm soil. Once vinified, it develops intense, peppery, spicy flavours and accents of red fruits.

- A very beautiful and intense cherry red colour.
- The palate is typical of the grape variety. It reveals notes of spices and ripe fruit, with an elegant and balanced structure.

Serve it with cured meats, delicatessen, red meats, in sauce or grilled, duck breasts and cheeses.

14 to 15°C (57-59°F).

Drink young to appreciate its freshness and fruit. But this wine can easily be kept in the cellar for 6 to 8 years.

The Jura wine region is small in size but large in its remarkable diversity. It covers 80 kilometres between Burgundy and Switzerland, in the eastern France.

The Arbois AOC is the oldest and largest of the Jura's four geographic AOCs. In particular, it was France's first AOC (created in 1937).
Its name originates in the Celtic words "ar" and "bois" that would mean "fertile land".

In order to create this harmonious Arbois Trousseau, we identified and selected one of the best plot adapted to this grape variety in the historical family Maire’s estate: The “Aux Anes” (donkey) parcel located in the far north of the Domaine and to the northwest of the Arbois village:

- Surface: 4,96 Ha
- West and North West exposure
- Average age of vines :  31 years ( 1993 )
- Soils: clays and marls.

The work in the vines, is based on the respect of the nature and the soil. For young vines, located on steep slopes, to avoid erosion, we cultivate a row out of two, practice soil reassembly to aerate the lands subjected to settlement due to moisture, and grass with plants. Such as clover, which, by competing on the vine, can modulate its mineral and water supply and control its vigour and yield.

The Guyot double size is necessary to better control its performance.

Reception of the manual harvest followed by a total maceration of 12 days in thermos-regulated stainless steel tanks. Then, regularly throughout the fermentation, incorporating some pumping and pigeage. At the moment of pressing, the press and drop juices of each cuvee are assembled and withdrawn for malolactic fermentation on fine lees. Ageing, partially in Oak (25%) and the rest in stainless steel tanks to perfectly blend the crisp fruit with elegant woody notes.

Having endured the nights at the beginning of April, we were spared from the effects of the frost. A budburst on 13 April and flowering on 23 May promised an early harvest. June saw more than 150 mm of rainfall, allowing the marl soils to build up some healthy reserves to cope with the hot summer weather.

The harvest took place from 16 August to 15 September.

The grapes destined for the Crémant du Jura opened the show on 16 August, being the earliest date on record at the estate. This decision paid off as the balance of acidity was in line with what we were looking for. For our other Jura appellations, a generous rainfall on the weekend of 20 August allowed the vines to finish ripening in the best conditions.

The excellent health of the grapes allowed us to prolong the harvest until mid-September, with the opportunity to boost the maturity of the reds to their best polyphenolic potential, particularly for the Pinot Noir grapes, creating powerful, full-bodied wines. The white Chardonnays and Savagnins express floral aromas with a perfectly balanced mineral structure.