#14: Cecile Tremblay 2018s
#TeamCecile from here on out 🚀
Cecile Tremblay has been steadily accruing fans over the last decade, after taking over the family vineyards in 2003. It’s a domaine that I’ve heard constantly about ever since I started working in wine in 2016, with only the occasional opportunity to taste a handful of times only throughout the years (very hard to find). Although she is doing meticulous work in the vineyard, like all the top vignerons, I have found her wines (at least up to the 2015/2016) to be hard to understand. As much I try to appreciate them, I found them hard to open, not approachable especially when young. The one bottle that I came across close to being open and ready to drink was a 2008 Bourgogne ‘La Croix Blanche’ when trying them circa 2018 to give you an example of how long it takes for her wines to come around. When I was invited to taste the 2018s, I came with a bit of healthy skepticism but lo and behold, they were open, expressive and utterly ravishing.
The 2018 Burgundies as I have tried it through other domaines, had tasted extremely varied and distinctive producer from producer. Those who managed the heat well, whether through vineyard work or winemaking, produced open and balanced wines. Those who didn’t, had unbalanced and overly alcoholic juice that tasted wholly un-Burgundian. Tremblay has not only succeeded but exceeded expectations, in creating mind-blowingly open, sumptuous and beautiful wines that give you everything you want from each terroir and more. The Beauxmont was the beaux-est mont ever I have tasted in a long time (caveat: too little references from Leroy, I am open for invitation 💁♀️) and the Rouge du Dessus (located above Echezeaux) was simply the belle of the ball. Even the Echezeaux, which is traditionally a grand cru I don’t care too much for especially young, showed well.
It seems a bit late to the game to be #TeamCecile but for what it’s worth, it is better late than never and from a deeper understanding and appreciation for her work.
Tasting Notes
Tremblay Bourgogne Cote D’Or 2018: Open and pure nose of succulent cherries with a touch of barnyard. The texture is fantastic here—impossibly silky and velvety smooth.
Tremblay Chambolle Musigny Les Cabottes 2018: Similar notes of succulent ripe cherries, but again with much finesse, purity and silkiness. Just glides on the tongue and a sheer joy to drink.
Tremblay Vosne Romanee VV 2018: This is a darker, inkier more serious wine than the first two, offering more complexity and a touch more rusticity. The palate is a mix of both ripe red and black fruit without feeling heavy or overripe. Fine structure, acidity and balance.
Tremblay Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes 2018: Sharper cherry notes comparatively speaking than the VR, but still open, ripe and succulent all the same. More strawberry on the palate whilst also intensely perfumed, lifted and complex.
Tremblay Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Rouges du Dessus 2018 💎: Out of the bunch, the most rustic nose so far but still has incredibly sense of purity and finesse on the palate. Brimming with complexity, the wine is relatively open now with its rush of floral and red fruit notes. However with time, I can see this giving excellent layers and depth.
Tremblay Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts 2018 💎: PRETTY. What I wrote down in all caps and underlined. With an overwhelming sense of flowers along with ripe strawberries, the nose and palate were very lifted, perfumed and refined. It seems a bit too precious to be “just” wine. I cannot wait to see how this will evolve.
Tremblay Echezeaux du Dessus Grand Cru 2018: Lovely ripe red fruit and bramble on the nose. Palate is showing lots of purity and complexity but much like the Rouge de Desssus, brimming with potential to offer lots of depth and layers with time, with hints of tobacco and cocoa looming in the mid to back palate.
Thanks La Souveraine for the invitation to try the wines, August 2021.