Charlopin Tissier

Yann Charlopin and Justine Tissier

Yann Charlopin is the son of Philippe Charlopin and learned the craft in his father's cellar. In 2013, together with his wife Justine Tissier, he took over Domaine David Clark in Morey-Saint-Denis, which became their own estate. The story had begun further north, in Marsannay, where Justine Tissier's family owned vineyards. These plots form the core of today's just over four hectares, spread across Marsannay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée and the Clos Vougeot in the Côte de Nuits.

The climats in Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin

In Marsannay, Yann Charlopin harvests Pinot Noir from Les Longeroies, Le Chapitre, La Montagne and Clos du Roy, which also yields a Chardonnay. Le Chapitre covers 0.15 hectares between the Clos du Roy in Chenôve to the west and Montre-Cul to the east; the climat has been known since the Middle Ages and was only recently included in the Marsannay appellation. The subsoil consists of red clay with stones and sandy soil derived from Comblanchien limestone, interspersed with grèzes litées, sandy and gravelly scree.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes grows on 0.68 hectares in the climat Marchais, directly below Clos Lavaux Saint Jacques, on limestone and clay. Alongside it are a Côte de Nuits Villages from old vines, a Vosne-Romanée, an Aloxe-Corton and the Clos Vougeot Grand Cru.

Sous Frétille in Pernand-Vergelesses

For its white wine, the estate farms 0.11 hectares of old vines in the climat Sous Frétille in Pernand-Vergelesses, right next to Corton. The vineyard sits almost at the top of the hill and faces largely southeast; the sun only reaches it from midday on. The Chardonnay ferments spontaneously and ages for sixteen months on fine lees in cigar-shaped 400-litre barrels, with a new-oak share of 75 to 100 percent.

Working methods in the vineyard and cellar

Yann Charlopin fully destems the Pinot Noir, lets it begin a cool fermentation and then finish fermenting with its own yeasts. Ageing for the red wines takes eighteen months on fine lees, in 228-litre barriques sourced mainly from François Frères. The share of new oak follows the site: it stays under 20 percent for the Marsannay Les Longeroies and the Bourgogne Côte d'Or, rises to 20 to 30 percent for Le Chapitre, and reaches 50 to 75 percent for the Gevrey-Chambertin from the Marchais. The wines receive little sulphur and are barely filtered.

Charlopin Tissier's wines appear on the wine lists of The French Laundry, Quince and SingleThread in California, as well as those of Tour d'Argent and Frenchie in Paris.