“Truly farm-to-table, my family enjoyed meals made from the vegetables they cultivated, the meat they raised, the fruit they harvested, and making apple cider from my parents’ orchard,” said Marie-Laure. “Considering my relationship with the land, it was no surprise that I gravitated to winemaking. After graduating from the Ecole Viticole of Libourne, Bordeaux, and Beaune/Dijon, I pursued experiences working in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and other wine-growing regions of France. Ultimately, my passion for wine landed me in California, where I worked alongside Pierre Seillan at Stonestreet and then with Mike Sullivan at Hartford Court.”

Marie-Laure subsequently worked 18 vintages with Philippe Melka, one of Napa Valley’s most respected consultants, before striking out on her own.

“My focus is making wines with senses of place, sophistication, and freshness plus texture, all respecting the fruit, acidity, and oak while maintaining balance,” Marie-Laure told me. “I want my wines to be approachable and have some age capability.”

In 2020, tragedy struck when Marie-Laure lost her identical twin sister, Cécile, to cancer. 

“We both studied winemaking together in Bordeaux and Burgundy, and while Cécile stayed in France, eventually to work for Remy Martin in Cognac, I ventured to California,” said Marie-Laure. “She was always passionate about the wines of Pomerol and, after talking to a fellow student from our winemaking class in Bordeaux, Gael Arpin, we decided to create this cuvée in her memory.”

The cuvée is called “Cécile,” and the fruit was sourced from Gael Arpin’s vineyard in Pomerol, Château Franc Maillet.

“I love the unique aromatic profiles and tannins of the wines from Pomerol,” said Marie-Laure. “To me, this is the most Burgundian of the Bordeaux appellations, being more vineyard than brand-driven. Gael’s great-grandfather, Jean Baptiste, purchased one hectare in Pomerol after the First World War in 1919. The estate is now 5.9 hectares. To make this blend, I selected specific Merlot and Cabernet Franc barrels and then came up with a blend of 80% Merlot (from 55-year-old vines) and 20% Cabernet Franc (from 45-year-old). The wine was aged in once-used barrels for 19 Months.”

Marie-Laure made two barrels (50 cases) of the 2022 Cécile Pomerol and will retail the wine for $95 per bottle.

“It is impossible to think of Chardonnay without thinking of Burgundy,” Marie-Laure told me as we moved on to taste her new Pouilly-Fuissé. “Ever since I was a student in Beaune, I have always wanted to make wine from this iconic region. I was introduced to Thierry Janots two years ago. He was the cellar master for Domaine des Comtes Lafon for a few years and, in 2007, started his own domaine (with Richard Bos) in Meursault called JanotsBos. When I barrel tasted in his cellar, his Pouilly Fuissé stood out to me as being a very distinguished, delicate wine with aromas of acacia and peony honey, which are a reflection of this specific terroir. Then, I visited the vineyard and fell in love with the site, spectacularly situated just below the Roche de Vergisson. This Chardonnay comes from an organically farmed, 40-year-old parcel called ‘Tremis.’ 

The 2023 Nid Tissé Pouilly-Fuissé is produced in the cellar of Thierry Janots in Meursault using all native yeast, with no filtration. It was aged for 10 months in Burgundian oak barriques, 15% new. 75 cases were made, and it will retail for $65 per bottle.

To register an interest in purchasing Nid Tissé directly, visit the website at: www.nidtisse.com