Domaine André et Mireille Tissot, nestled in the limestone and marl folds ofArbois in the Jura, is now one of the region's most respected wine estates. Right from the start, in 1962, André and Mireille laid the foundations for a human-scale, mixed-crop vineyard. Their son Stéphane joined the wine estate in the 1990s, after studying oenology in Australia, Burgundy and South Africa. With the help of his partner Bénédicte, he took the family philosophy one step further: transition toorganic farming in 1999, then adoption of biodynamic vi ticulture in 2004. Today, the wine estate covers almost 50 hectares of hand-farmed vineyards in the Arbois and Côtes du Jura appellations .
Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot quickly established themselves as visionaries in the region: wine should reflect the soul of the terroir, without artifice or standardization. With this in mind, in the late 1990s the wine estate began to practice plot selection. Around Arbois, in a terroir said to be ideal for Trousseau, renowned for its iron-laden red earth and iridescent marls, the vines of Savagnin, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Poulsard and Trousseau express themselves on the typical terroirs of localities such as Les Bruyères, La Mailloche, La Tour de Curon, or En Barberon. The grapes draw their varied profiles from these Triassic and Bajocian soils. In its quest for authenticity, the wine estate favors respectful winemaking: spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts only, without excessive filtration, ageing in foudres, amphorae or vats, and minimal or no use of sulfites.
Although the wine estate produces a number of cuvées, Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot never lose sight of their guiding principle: to bring out the best in the historic Jura grape varieties. Savagnin, the emblem of the Jura par excellence, reveals a multitude of facets in their attentive hands. For example, the dense, complexArbois Savagnin Sous Voile offers a vibrant oxidative profile of fresh walnuts and apples, blond curry and deliciously persistent saline notes. Conversely,Arbois Savagnin Ouillé offers a fresh, taut version of the grape variety, with aromas of pear, lime and a straight, mineral finish. Still in Arbois, the cuvée En Amphore seduces with its atypical, oxidation-free profile, its ample, digestible texture, and its complex palette combining candied citrus, subtle bitters and dried fruit.
The Chardonnay cuvées surprise with their aromatic fullness and fine structure, like the Crémant du Jura Indigène, made from Chardonnay and straw wine must, which reveals fine bubbles and great aromatic depth, between dried fruit, chiselled minerality and racy tension. The Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Sursis, taut and pure, expresses a vertical energy carried by ripe citrus fruit, fine salinity and chalky persistence. In the Arbois appellation, the Patchwork cuvée, a vibrant, immediate Chardonnay, reveals beautiful chalky tension, clean white fruit and a precise finish, while Les Bruyères reveals an intense, structured face of the grape variety, combining generous volume and sapid freshness. Finally, Chardonnay Rose, or Rose Massale, delivers a rare variation on the pink-skinned variety, in a delicate, incisive cuvée combining white flowers, stone fruit and elegant verticality.
Among the Jura's emblematic grape varieties, Trousseau occupies a special place at Domaine André et Mireille Tissot. In the Arbois appellation, it is available in cuvées that are both rich and delicate: the Trousseau Singulier seduces with its fruity aromas and silky tannins, while the cuvée En Amphore reveals added aromatic complexity thanks to its traditional ageing in amphora.
Still in the register of red grape varieties, the wine estate also offers cuvées of Pinot Noir. The Côtes du Jura Pinot Noir En Barberon seduces with its fine grain, deep fruitiness and delicately smoky finish. TheArbois Pinot Noir Sous la Tour plays the density card, with a darker, riper, earthy texture, supported by discreet ageing and spicy length.
Last but not least, the iconic Vin Jaune La Mailloche is a mythical cuvée, distinguished by its power and depth, carried by characteristically complex notes of nuts, dried fruit, honey and spices. Incredibly pure and unstoppably long, it's a true expression of Jura terroir.
Domaine André et Mireille Tissot has established itself as a benchmark in the Jura. Each wine bears witness to precision work, a deep attachment to the terroirs of Arbois, and a determination to let the grape varieties speak for themselves, from Chardonnay to Savagnin, from Trousseau to Pinot Noir, in all their uniqueness. Driven by their exacting standards and their curiosity, Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot embody an art of living wine to the full: listening to the living, seeking sincerity and refusing artifice. Here, the vine is thought of as a living whole, and the wine as its most faithful translation.
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