Domaine Stéphane TISSOT - Yellow Wine - Curon 2018
In Montigny-lès-Arsures, in the heart of the Arbois appellation, the estate of Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot holds a major place in contemporary Jura. The family property has become one of the most sought-after references in the region, thanks to a rigorous reading of the terroirs, a committed biodynamic approach, and a range of wines of rare precision. Stéphane Tissot has deeply contributed to revealing the diversity of Jura soils by working each plot as a unique identity. Curon belongs to the most emblematic terroirs of the estate, located around the famous Tour de Curon, on soils that give the wines a unique depth and tension. With this 2018 Yellow Wine, the Savagnin takes on a monumental dimension, patient, built over a long time. The 2018 vintage, sunny and generous, brings a broad substance, but the aging under veil and the strength of the terroir maintain remarkable uprightness. It is a rare bottle, as much for meditation as for gastronomy, capable of crossing decades with almost intact energy.
This cuvée is made from Savagnin, the emblematic grape variety of Jura, aged according to the great tradition of Yellow Wine. After fermentation, the wine remains several years in non-refilled barrels, under a natural veil of yeasts that partially protects it from oxygen while shaping its unique aromatic character. This long oxidative aging, at least six years and three months for the appellation, profoundly transforms the wine’s substance: it concentrates the aromas, refines the structure, and gives this signature of walnut, spices, mild curry, and salinity that is found nowhere else with such intensity. Curon adds an additional dimension, more refined, more tense, with a firm minerality that supports the natural power of the Savagnin. The wine is then bottled in a clavelin, a traditional 62 cl bottle, symbol of Yellow Wine and the natural evaporation linked to its long aging. In the Tissot style, the whole retains great purity despite the aromatic breadth, with an energy that avoids any heaviness. The 2018 thus stands out for its richness of substance, its sunny intensity, and its impressive persistence.
The color presents a deep, bright gold, almost amber, announcing a wine of great concentration. The nose opens on fresh walnut, roasted almond, hazelnut, curry, saffron, and mild spices, then evolves towards notes of dried apple, orange zest, noble mushroom, warm stone, and beeswax. On the palate, the attack is powerful, dry, broad, carried by a firm acidity that immediately structures the wine. The substance is dense, saline, almost tannic in sensation, with an aromatic depth that unfolds slowly and long. The finish is immense, persistent, marked by walnuts, spices, noble bitters, and a mineral tension that prolongs the tasting with great nobility. This 2018 Curon Yellow Wine will pair remarkably with Bresse poultry with morels, sweetbreads, lobster with cream, aged Comté cheese, mild curry, roasted mushrooms, or cuisine featuring white truffle. Served around 14 to 16°C, in a wide glass, it deserves to be opened several hours in advance, or even the day before, to fully develop its complexity and depth.
Grape variety: Savagnin
