2005 Tissot (Bénédicte et Stéphane / André et Mireille) Côtes du Jura Spirale Passerillé à l'Ancienne

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  7/1/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (SPIRALE Tissot) Insanity Dear Friends, When a few drops of this were dripped into the palm of my hand (as is the tradition) and I sampled it by (yes) licking it from my palm, it was like going to wine communion - the only word I could think of to describe the wine and the moment was...insanity. This wine is insane. Is it even wine? Whatever it is I, don't want the experience to end. From the same producer that produced the Audace (the raspberry and leather creamsicle), comes this liquid raised in the same barn that gave rise to the battle of the bats. If you recall, Tissot has a colony of bats that have taken a special liking to the prized dried grapes hanging in the rafters of his alpine barn (grapes used to produce this wine) - watching the bats evade his swats is like Frogger on the extreme advanced setting - humorous, more for the fact that the human will not win the battle. Assuming the bats do not eat the grapes, each remaining piece of shriveled fruit is taken down from the ceiling and pressed with gravity. The resulting liquid is what I would call half wine and half something from a JRR Tolkien novel, conjuring up images of the netherworld. Each bottle of this special nectar is made by hand, one by one. As far as dessert wine is considered, this is as close as you will get to liquefied "side of mountain" mixed with molten plums, cinnamon apples and a brown fruit concoction topped with molasses, caramel and wild flower honey. Produced at high altitude in the Jura, dashes of acidity, sunlight and citrus rind make an appearance as well but the flavor comes in waves of delight and when I use the word "insane" I do not do so lightly. A singular low-alcohol treat that would be difficult to duplicate and one that Mattman would describe as "tough to believe it is made from grapes". From the incredible 2005 vintage for Jura dessert wine, Tissot likens the 2005s to the 1982's or even the 1961's in this area. If you've ever tried this in a preceding vintage, you can ramp up the quality to a mesmerizing level. If this were German TBA it would be $300/split (this is better than most TBA). Tissot believes the 2005 will age for up to 25 years but I thing it may last longer (although it's almost impossible not to drink it now - this is one instance where patience is not a virtue - go ahead and indulge). EXTREMELY LIMITED - 150 bottles exported (I had to pull teeth to be included in that allocation): 2005 Cotes de Jura "Spirale" Passerille (Tissot) 375ml Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR8560