TISSOT STEPHANE

Stéphane Tissot is more than just a Jura winemaker, he's a true symbol of the region. Descended from a long line of winegrowers, he has resurrected the ancient Tour de Curon vineyard. For connoisseurs, this name is no longer in need of introduction, and seems obvious when talking about the wines of Arbois, France's oldest appellation d'origine contrôlée. As great minds always end up meeting, Stéphane's story is closely linked to that of Henri Maire. Two generations, two different worlds, but when the former bought the Curon vineyards from the latter in 2001, it was like a second wind, like a growing flame waiting to spread.

Stéphane Tissot knows the place by heart, having wandered around as a child and coveted the Clos vines from his family's 20-hectare estate next door. It's a childhood dream come true when he takes possession of the estate, and his wines are there to translate it: you'll find heart...and heart, from nose to mouth. We've all grown up in a very special environment: remember your walks in the countryside with your grandparents, your seaside vacations as a child, or the bus passing by and rattling the windows for those of us who live in the city. This is what happened to Stéphane when he took over the estate, replanting Chardonnay, the historic grape variety. There's no question of him calling in a vineyard manager to run his 50 hectares biodynamically; he wants to keep his hands in the grapes and his feet in the soil. Precise and straightforward, like their Clos de la Tour de Curon cuvée, Stéphane and his wife Bénédicte have always isolated their vineyards to make them more beautiful, and who knows, one day make them the very first "premiers crus" in Arbois.