Tissot 'En Barberon': a salute

S

Scott Frank

Scott Frank
For my inaugural post I wanted to wait until I had something to champion. Tonight I had an opportunity to taste the 2006 Tissot 'En Barberon.' Stephane doesn't seem to garner many kudus from the recent Jura frenzy and I wouldn't rush to praise many of his wine above others but his 'En Barberon' is consistently one of the most unique expressions of Chardonnay I've experienced.

As someone in the trade I'm more prone to the "try as many different wines as possible" approach and so rarely invest in a single bottling across multiple vintages. For whatever reason, this is a wine I've sought out and have had the good fortune of spending lots of time with it.

The 2008 version of this wine perfectly straddles the line of esoteric geekiness and perfect deliciousness. Not an easy rope to traverse. It pushes all the buttons. It alludes to the oxidative chicanery of Vin Jaune while delivering the fruity upper cut of a ripe vintage Chablis.

In talking with Stephane, it becomes clear he feels most strongly about Chardonnay. I agree this wine is consistently his best, but I also think it's one of the most singular varietal expressions of any terroir. Full stop.

So, Stephane: Kudos!
 
Thanks for the note, Scott. I'll say welcome, and leave the cursing and insults that normally greet new arrivals for the experts.
 
originally posted by Scott Frank:
In talking with Stephane, it becomes clear he feels most strongly about Chardonnay. I agree this wine is consistently his best, but I also think it's one of the most singular varietal expressions of any terroir. Full stop.
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Does Stephane feels the "En barberon" is his best chard? So why is then his Chardonnay Clos de la Tour de Couron double the price?
 
originally posted by Arnt Egil Nordlien:
originally posted by Scott Frank:
In talking with Stephane, it becomes clear he feels most strongly about Chardonnay. I agree this wine is consistently his best, but I also think it's one of the most singular varietal expressions of any terroir. Full stop.
Click to expand...

Does Stephane feels the "En barberon" is his best chard? So why is then his Chardonnay Clos de la Tour de Couron double the price?
Click to expand...

Double the new oak?
 
originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
originally posted by Arnt Egil Nordlien:
originally posted by Scott Frank:
In talking with Stephane, it becomes clear he feels most strongly about Chardonnay. I agree this wine is consistently his best, but I also think it's one of the most singular varietal expressions of any terroir. Full stop.
Click to expand...

Does Stephane feels the "En barberon" is his best chard? So why is then his Chardonnay Clos de la Tour de Couron double the price?
Click to expand...

Double the new oak?
Click to expand...

probably.

I remember all of his whites to be overly oaked, his jaunes to be the most boring jaunes i've tasted, and his reds either reductive or bacterial. Not much luck for me with tissot's wines on the long run.
so scott frank, fuck off,
and welcome.
 
I thought Tissot was approved of? Or was that FLJim only? And me, since I previously admitted to really liking the Bruyres Chardonnay and the Barberon Pinot Noir?
 
I'm quite sure this is a forum where I can safely share my singular passion. A passion I can distill to one word: oak.

What a joy to stumble upon your little cabal of oak enthusiasts. So many other boards get sidetracked with discussions about what essentially amounts to a condiment for oak. Just as a pretzel is merely a vehicle for mustard, wine is simply a vessel for delivering oak to the most sensitive instrument ever devised for exploring that sacred wood. (A sacred wood, by the way, capable of penetrating every sense organ of the body and literally saturating you with its essense.)

While I continue to stand by this wine, know that I did in fact implore Mr. Tissot to jack up the wood in future vintages if he had any interest in jumping on the inevitable Jura bandwagon.

Thank you for the warm welcome.
 
Bravo!

Don't get angry. There's always an inoculation of bile, at the start.

Stick around and you'll be inured.

Be peeved two minutes and then let loose with your own vision, every bit as worthy.

ETA: I do find the Tissot chards too oaky, but I am a fan of such villages as Puligny, etc., so one could lapidate me at will. FWIW.
 
originally posted by Otto Nieminen:
the Bruyres Chardonnay
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I loved the '99. Less fond of recent vintages.

I'm with guilhaume on the vin jaune. There are worse vj's out there, but none so insipidly clean.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
originally posted by Otto Nieminen:
the Bruyres Chardonnay
Click to expand...
I loved the '99. Less fond of recent vintages.
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That was the wine that got me interested in the Jura, I think after reading one of your notes! So I have a soft spot for Tissot.

Curious about the Indigene, is it a Cremant?

As an aside, 2006 Domaine Labet Cotes du Jura Trousseau this week was just too bretty to enjoy, it had everything from barnyard to band aide. There was a nice wine under the smellies, I think.
 
I like Tissot. The 2000 Vin Jaune wasn't anything to write home about, but I would never turn down a glass. The cremants are lovely.

You guys are spoiled. Now that I live in Maine, I'm forced to ride my moose 20 miles just to have my choices limited to Duboeuf or Coffee Brandy.

Even seeing Henri-Marie on a shelf up here would be reason to celebrate.

Best,
Joe
 
originally posted by Joe_Perry:
I like Tissot. The 2000 Vin Jaune wasn't anything to write home about, but I would never turn down a glass. The cremants are lovely.

You guys are spoiled. Now that I live in Maine, I'm forced to ride my moose 20 miles just to have my choices limited to Duboeuf or Coffee Brandy.

Even seeing Henri-Marie on a shelf up here would be reason to celebrate.

Best,
Joe
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you might not see henri maire's wines ever again, last i heard he was in a very difficult financial situation and was about to sell the vineyards (and he's the largest producer of arbois...), stick to duboeuf, no actually, stick to coffee brandy...
 
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