2021 Benedicte & Stephane Tissot, Cotes du Jura, Chardonnay Sursis

Stéphane Tissot has been the driving force at his domaine since he joined his father André in the late 1980’s. Tissot is a benchmark estate for us. From the beginning, Stéphane has pushed to innovate and improve the property, initially by introducing smaller barrels for fermentation and aging (this Burgundian technique was a radical step in the 1990’s!) and then converting their 50-hectares of vines to organic and biodynamic farming. This isn’t to say Stéphane glosses over the traditions of the region. When he purchased the land surrounding the Tour du Curon in 2001, he painstakingly restored the vineyards in the most old-fashioned way: with extremely dense plantings of Chardonnay vines individually staked rather than trained on wires. Stéphane’s tireless efforts to explore and understand this terroir has allowed him to produce some of the most soulful and thought-provoking wines in the region. Tissot’s wines are still values, worth every penny—these are noble, complex wines entirely deserving of a Michelin-starred, white-tablecloth dining experience. His ouillé whites (topped off, non-oxidative) can rival lofty white Burgundy at a fraction of the price. From a parcel he purchased in 2007. En Surcis means ‘on borrowed time’ – meaning Stephane will keep making this wine for as long as these super old vines give him grapes!