NV Henri Maire Crémant du Jura "Jurassique", Jura, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Traditional method: grape brunches are picked by hand. Pressing is done using whole, uncrushed grapes. The last pressed grapes are separated and distilled after fermentation. Maturation on lees lasts at least 12 months. There is a second fermentation in bottles after initial alcoholic fermentation in vats. After riddling and disgorging, the dosage is added. It brings sweetness and balance.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Henri Maire ~ The Visionary (1917-2003)

A few weeks before he died, Henri Maire was asked what might have happened to the Jura wine region if he had not been there to pull it up by its bootstraps. He answered modestly that if it had not been him, there would have been someone else. When Henri's dad died during World War 1, Henri inherited his grandfather's vines, acquiring vineyards here and there. In 1942 he obtained permission from Louis Pasteur's grandson to replant Pasteur's vineyards, Clos de Roisières, and replanted it with all 5 grapes permitted under the AOC rules.

Once the war was over, still in his twenties, Henri's energy was unstoppable, he believe Jura could produce great wines. The firm was created in 1945, his first Estate was created in 1947 Domaine de Monfort, but vineyards from about 300 owners make up 45 ha of Vineyards. One estate at the time, Henri Maire revolutionized the way wine was sold not only in France but also in Europe, selling wine directly to consumer with a network of direct sales representatives selling door-to-door and at fairs and exhibitions.

He had a marketing vision that no one had. The "Vin Fou" idea came to him in 1950, at the time a good publicist and artist made his dream come true, putting his wines on the gastronomic table including La Tour d'Argent. He convinced the restaurant to embed a cask and some bottles of Vin Jaune into the walls of the restaurant to be enjoyed by future generations.