Thierry Tissot

Clearing the site was a monumental undertaking, with the slope reaching up to 45 degrees and a thick cover of brush and chestnut trees. All of the labor to clear almost a century’s worth of forest growth was done by hand. Thierry chose to replant with two of the most interesting traditional local varieties: altesse and mondeuse. Mataret has never seen any herbicides, having been abandoned to the forest before the introduction of chemical treatments. It is truly a grand cru site, with very stony clay-calcareous soils and veins of blue marl. Thierry had brought back to life one of the most pristine and exceptional vineyards of Bugey.

Meanwhile, his wife Céline was completing her studies as an agriculture engineer and enologist. She focused on sustainable agriculture, with a particular focus on insect diversity. She did a stage at Maison Drouhin in Burgundy to learn vinification. In 2016 she joined the Tissot domain full time. Bringing with her tremendous agricultural expertise, they began the process of organic certification, which they completed in 2019. She also brought in aspects of biodynamic agriculture, with various plant preparations now being used in the vineyards.

Their vineyards are surrounded by sub-alpine forests and are now full of biodiversity. Céline loves to share their discoveries on social media — birds nests, foxes, ladybugs, etc. — as they work the vines with their dog Maya.