2016 Benedicte et Stephane Tissot Chateau Chalon (620ml)

Stéphane Tissot is a tireless and vigorous promoter of individual sites and natural wines. He brings technological experience from his work in Australia and South Africa, and combines this with his ruthless yield reduction philosophy and very serious 'small batch' winemaking which is carried out as naturally as possible. Tissot plants mostly on clay and limestone, all sites are farmed biodynamically and yields are kept low, averaging only 30 h/l per hectare. Ferments are allowed to commence naturally and the still wines are bottled without filtration and little or no SO2 is added across the board. Vibrancy and fruit presence is a signature across all his wines. Given Stéphane is constantly experimenting and obsessively seeking improvements; he is at the forefront of the Jura revolution and produces terroir-driven wines of depth, intensity, interest and undeniable quality.

The low-yielding biodynamic Savagnin grapes for these Vin Jaunes are hand-picked and the juice fermented in steel tanks. The mostly clay soils give wines of higher acidity (whereas limestone gives less acidity and more minerality), and strong backbone. After the primary fermentation the wine is part-filled (around 85%) into old barrels (228 lt. usually) and a 'flor' yeast veil or 'voile' develops on the surface of the wine, protecting it from oxidation and adding complex aromas and flavours to the wine. The barrels are stored in a cool but 'airy' cellar (not underground) for around 6-7 years so the dryer atmosphere causes the evaporation of water and therefore concentration of flavours and reduction of the wine volume. In fact, usually only 620ml. (the size of a Vin Jaune bottle) remains from a litre. This is very expensive wine to make, as not only is there a huge volume loss, but often some barrels need to be culled.

Chateau Chalon is no doubt the greatest site in the Jura for making Vin Jaune, the Grand Cru if you will, and produces wines with a touch more finesse than the other single site Vin Jaune in this collection.

Other Reviews....
Vin Jaune is a very small percentage of the winery's production, as they only make some 7,000 bottles (clavelin) of it per year. It's a scarce and rare wine, which, from the best terroirs, shows vibrant and complex, with power and finesse. That is the case of the 2016 Château Chalon, which has great concentration, even in a lighter vintage, and reflects the more elegant profile of the Lias soils and keeps the citrusy aromas and flavors. It's fresh, expressive, floral and herbal, with character, incisive and pungent. The aging potential of these wines has been proven over the years, and he is experimenting with longer élevage... Drink 2024-2045.
98 points
Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate (Aug 09, 2024)