Domaine Stéphane TISSOT

Domaine Stéphane Tissot - VignArtea

JURA    50 ha     BIODYNAMIC     WINEMAKER : Stéphane TISSOT


ESTATE HISTORY


There are the André et Mireille TISSOT estate, the Jean-Louis TISSOT estate and the Jacques TISSOT estate in the Jura region. All are winemakers and work in Arbois and Montigny-les-Arsures, and for a good reason: they are brothers!

The story of this brotherhood begins in 1956, when the father, Maurice TISSOT, planted a plot of vines for each of his sons. At that time, the family was running 3 ha of vines and 25 ha for cattle farming and cultivation. The parcel granted to André TISSOT was 38 acres. These were the first vines of this extraordinary estate that we are going to talk about now and that is currently run by Stéphane TISSOT, the André TISSOT son.

In 2019, Stéphane TISSOT celebrates his 20th year of viticulture in organic farming, of which 15 years in biodynamic culture : a subject that has no more secrets for him and a very rare phenomenon when you know that he is running at least 50 ha of vines according the biodynamic principles , which requires much more labor than conventional viticulture does.

The idea of turning away from phytosanitary products does not come from a fad phenomenon, the organic viticulture not being well known in the 90's; but it is the consequence of a willingness to make wine otherwise, using native yeasts for fermentations, lees for the ageing phase and reduce sulphite doses.

What distinguishes Stéphane from other winemakers is its ability to adapt and evolve : on-site experiments are numerous, with the use of various essential oils for treatments thanks to the support of his brother, a aromatherapy specialized pharmacist, the different composts developments, or the testing of different vine's tying methods.



TERROIR


The heavy investments that he makes by buying different plots from the 80's until 2000 allow him today to benefit from a beautiful and distinct soils range, taking care to select the best ones. Its vineyard has now 50 ha of vines spread over three different communes and three distinct terroirs :

  • in Arbois, the vineyard is on the coteaux des Corvées et de Curon, whose terroir is made up of Lias gray marls covered with a thick layer of scree coming from the calcareous escarpment which dominates it, as well as on the places of Sauvagny, Les Bruyères and La Mailloche with soils made of rainbow Keuper marls (or Triassic marls).
  • in Montigny-Lès-Arsures, nicknamed the capital of Trousseau, the vineyard is located on the places called Ruzard and Les Bérangères, on a small hill consisting of a thick coating of flint clays that covers the rainbow Keuper marl.
  • in Brery (Côtes-du-Jura), in a locality called En Barberon, where the marly slopes of the Lias are rich in limestone scree resulting from the ledge erosion and ideal for the Chardonnay vine.


WINEGROWING & WINEMAKING


Stéphane plays with this plot's diversity to produce wines of great flavor with scents that can not be found anywhere else. Let's not forget that it is the only winemaker in Arbois able to produce identity single plot vins jaune.

He says : "For many people, the Vin Jaune is an ageing wine: the long and oxidative ageing will carve this wine and the touch of the winemaker or the ageing conditions will give a specific style to each Vin Jaune. It is the idea of ​​many people, but it is not our. For us, the Vin Jaune's making goes beyond the cellar".

He justifies the ability of his vins jaune to express the terroir by a healthy viticulture, but there is certainly more, and this is the vin jaune's magic. The expression of the vin jaune En Spois has absolutely nothing to do with that, very powerful, of a vin jaune La Mailloche, and it is indeed something new and unique in the Jura.

And Stéphane TISSOT confirms this tendency to renewal with the arrival of the Alain BERTHEAS amphorae : some 420 liters terracotta jars and a 1000 liters Qvevri (Georgian dolium) are used for the production of the cuvées Savagnin "En Amphore", Trousseau "En Amphore" et Poulsard "En Amphore", available only in very limited quantities.


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