Catherine FASSENET

Sommelier : 1 restaurant Crowned Sommelier 2024 of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region, Catherine Fassenet has been running the Château du Mont Joly dining room for over fifteen years, making it one of the benchmarks on the Jura scene.

Presentation

Daughter of Marie and Denis Chevassu, Jura winegrowers in the Château-Chalon appellation, Catherine Fassenet is the second of four daughters. Naturally," she explains, " all four of us were immersed in the world of wine from an early age. We sometimes set up stands at wine fairs, met winemakers, took part in tastings and, of course, worked in the vineyards. And it was Marie-Pierre, the youngest, who finally took over from my parents."

A first address with flaws

As for Catherine, she attended the Poligny hotel school, where she met her future husband, Romuald Fassenet. A few years later, after the two young men had reunited, the couple acquired Le Bec Fin, in Dole, in 2001. "A great experience, of course, but the location was complicated, in the old town, parking was impossible and the kitchen wasn't very functional."

Château du Mont Joly, his paradise

In 2007, the Château du Mont Joly, then a private residence, came up for sale. "Romuald and I were chosen by the owner, who was enthusiastic about our project to open a hotel-restaurant there. We used the same architect as Régis Marcon and, sixteen years later, I wake up every morning thinking that what we created hasn't aged a bit." The establishment has been crowned with 3 toques since 2020.

Increasingly surrounded in the dining room, focusing on hospitality and sommellerie, Catherine Fassenet is delighted with the arrival in the kitchen of her youngest daughter, Laurette, a recent graduate of the Institut Paul Bocuse. It's not yet time to hand over the reins, but the groundwork has already been laid.