Iconic Producers Wine Club

Iconic Producers Wine Club

WTF! type of wine. If you want to impress people in the know, join this! However, we are not into impressing. We are interested in the introspective qualities wine allows. These wines are special, they are wines of authorship, of intention. These are wines to be shared, intimately. Wines of meditation, as Alejandro would say “enjoyed in the company of oneself”

These winemaker-defined wines are precious and few. This is our smallest club, just a handful of bottles.

Iconic Producers Vol. 10

Jura Genius: Stephan Tissot

Tissot, when I was told I could get these allocated wines for the store, it was a huge boost that I was headed in the right direction. Other than Burgundy, Jura has been the hottest wine region in France—so possibly the second most in-demand wine region in the world for the last 20 years. And Tissot would be in the ruling trinity, along with Ganevat and Labet.

Stéphane and Bénédicte Tissot are the driving force behind the modern Jura renaissance, elevating their Arbois estate into a global benchmark for biodynamic, single-terroir winemaking. Stéphane and his wife Bénédicte have 35 hectares of vineyards.

“cultivated in biodynamic viticulture to allow the soils to live, to have grapes untouched by chemical products, to allow natural yeast fermentations, to reduce the doses of sulfur in the cellar.”

They produce truly unique, terroir-driven natural wines, wines we love, admire, and cherish. These are without doubt some of our most prized wines.

André and Mireille Tissot founded their estate in 1962, in the village of Montigny-les Arsures, in the Jura. Stéphane took over from his father with a new vision and converted it to chemical-free farming, organic, and then biodynamic. They are meticulous in the vineyard and in the cellar, producing up to 28 unique cuvées. Three grapes anchor the property, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Savagnin. Now your Chardonnay is a unique Jura anomaly, more on it below.

“A wine made with love and passion produces an emotion...
You can find in a wine  he personality and the character of those who made it because each gesture, each operation, each decision has its importance.” –  Stephane Tissot.

Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Chardonnay Rose Massale 2023 $ 90

Sourced from a massal selection of pink-skinned chardonnay rose grapes, this white wine highlights a traditional look at Arbois viticulture. Stéphane and Bénédicte Tissot manage these biodynamic plots on complex limestone and marl soils. The hand-harvested fruit ferments spontaneously with native wild yeasts in neutral French oak casks. The winemaking focuses on long aging on fine fermentation lees to establish natural texture and phenolic stability without wood manipulation.

It displays a bright yellow-straw color, releasing aromas of yellow apple, fresh pear, and subtle hints of rose petal. On the palate, a medium-bodied frame pairs crisp white peach flavors with a pronounced, bright acidity. Subtle notes of raw hazelnut and wild spice develop as the wine sits in the glass. A strong vein of chalky minerality runs through the mid-palate, providing excellent structural tension. It finishes completely dry, leaving a long, saline trace.

Tissot Pinot Noir Sous La Tour 2022 $ 84

This low-intervention red wine is a pure varietal bottling of pinot noir produced by Stéphane Tissot in the Jura. The fruit is hand-harvested from the biodynamically farmed Les Corvées Sous la Tour slope, characterized by limestone soils. The grapes undergo a traditional three-week whole-cluster maceration driven by native wild vineyard yeasts inside neutral wooden tuns. It completes a natural maturation process, aging for twelve months in old Burgundy barrels before being bottled unfiltered and without sulfur.

It displays a translucent ruby color, opening with a fragrant bouquet of redcurrant, pomegranate, and forest floor. On the palate, the light-to-medium body is silky and elegant, focusing on an unmanipulated, fresh fruit presentation. Soft, fine-grained tannins integrate with a clean line of mountain acidity that keeps the mouthfeel thoroughly refreshed. Notes of gentle spices and a distinctive limestone minerality add depth across the core. It concludes with a long, juicy, and bone-dry finish.

Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Cremant de Jura BBF NV $ 49

Produced by Stéphane and Bénédicte Tissot, this pure chardonnay sparkling wine comes from estate vineyards farmed biodynamically since 2004. The designation stands for Blanc de Blancs en Fût, indicating the base wines were fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels. The winemaking prioritizes texture, utilizing a low dosage to allow the regional limestone soils to speak clearly. The wine undergoes traditional secondary fermentation followed by a lengthy twenty-four-month aging process on its fine lees.

It pours a pale gold color with a fine, persistent mousse, opening with aromas of fresh lemon, grapefruit, and toasted brioche. On the palate, the vinous frame balances bright citrus fruit with a complex, savory depth from the lees. A sharp wave of natural acidity cuts right through the mid-palate, keeping the texture clean. A pronounced mineral backbone provides a crisp finish, avoiding simple fruit sweetness. It concludes bone-dry, leaving a mouthwatering saline trace.

Bonus: we added our favorite Spanish sparkling wine, its delicious and so
well priced.

Conca del Riu Anoia Brut Blanc de Blancs Raventos 2022 $ 22

This organic sparkling white wine is crafted by the Raventós i Blanc estate
in Conca del Riu Anoia. The blend combines native varieties xarel-lo,
macabeu, and parellada, hand-harvested from certified biodynamic
vineyards. Vinification follows the traditional method, utilizing a spontaneous
primary fermentation with native vineyard yeasts in stainless steel tanks.
Maturing on fine lees for eighteen months before disgorgement, this cuvée
establishes a refined regional identity.

It pours a pale yellow color with a fine, persistent stream of bubbles, opening
with clean aromas of green apple, lemon zest, and mountain herbs. On the
palate, a creamy yet linear mousse delivers crisp flavors of fresh citrus fruit
alongside a distinct vein of mineral salinity. A sharp wave of natural acidity
cuts through the structural volume, keeping the texture fresh and energetic.
Subtle notes of toasted brioche integrate smoothly into the finish. It
concludes clean, bone-dry, and mouthwateringly light on its feet.