Eric and Berengere Thill "Bis!" Chardonnay Sur Montboucon Cotes du Jura 2016

Press 4 White • December 2025/January 2026 Direct Press Selection

Eric Thill wanted to be a winemaker from a young age, growing up in Alsace where his grandfather had some vines. But instead of settling there he moved to the Sud Revermont part of the Jura, where some of today's most sought-after producers are found, including Ganevat, Miroirs, and Labet. Part of this is because of the many different types of soil found there, which Eric, and his viticulture and oenolgy consultant wife Bérengère, use to make single parcel bottlings to express the various terroirs. The vineyards they purchased back in 2011 had already been worked without chemicals for several decades, and they became certified biodynamic in 2020. Eric was already motivated to work this way but even more so after a bout with cancer. 

Though most of their Chardonnay is made in the topped-up ouillé style "Bis!" spent three years sous-voile, the unique Jura style where a veil of yeast forms naturally and imparts its signature nutty flavors. This is a particularly delicious and fine-tuned expression, with roasted cashew, orange peel, and a salty, filigreed mineral texture. The Thill wines are pretty new to me but this superb bottle has placed Eric and Bérengère firmly in my sights going forward. Jonathan Kemp