DOMAINE CÉCILE TREMBLAY
Vosne-Romanée
Cécile Tremblay, renowned as one of the most gifted viticulturists in Burgundy, hails from an esteemed lineage of winemakers. The legacy traces back to 1921 with the marriage of her great-grandparents, Edouard Jayer, a skilled cooper from Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Esther Fournier, who brought her family’s vineyards into the union. This fusion marked the inception of their own Domaine, a venture that flourished and expanded under their stewardship.
This Domaine's vineyards, nurtured and cultivated over generations, were bequeathed to their five offspring. Renée, their youngest daughter, retained her portion of the vineyards, employing the traditional métayage system. This practice continued with Renée’s daughter, Marie-Annick, who, alongside her husband, not only preserved but also augmented the family's vineyard holdings, adhering to the métayage model.
The baton of legacy was passed to Cécile Tremblay, who, armed with a formal education in enology and viticulture from Dijon, assumed control of the vineyards in 2002. Demonstrating her commitment and passion, she launched her first wines under the label Domaine Cécile Tremblay just a year later, marking the beginning of a new era.
Cécile's wines quickly garnered attention in the wine community. Within a few years, her creations found their way into the collections of astute Burgundy enthusiasts and graced the wine lists of France's finest dining establishments. For nearly a decade, Cécile honed her craft in a modest winemaking space in Vosne-Romanée, often referred to as a “garage.” In 2013, her journey took a significant leap forward when she moved into a newly constructed winery adjacent to her residence in Morey-Saint-Denis. Conveniently situated beside the Castel de Très Girard restaurant in Morey Saint Denis, her winery stands as a testament to her dedication and growth.
Domaine Cecile Tremblay, though modest in the range of appellations, boasts vineyards situated in some of the most coveted locations. The Domaine's portfolio includes an exceptional Vosne-Romanée Village wine complemented by a small yet significant 0.23-hectare plot of 40-year-old vines in the premier cru Les Rouges du Dessus. A distinctly aromatic and robustly structured wine is produced from 75-year-old vines in the expansive premier cru Les Beaumonts which until 2022 was a small cuvee (2 or 3 barrels a year). In 2022, the Domaine Tremblay added 2.5ha of Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Beaumonts to the portfolio (vines that were coming from the family but were leased to other people) plus some Clos Vougeot Grand Cru (few rows).
In Chambolle-Musigny, Cécile's holdings encompass a half-hectare of 50-year-old vines in the premier cru Les Feusselottes, alongside several village-level plots that contribute to the Chambolle Musigny Aux Echanges Cuvee. This particular Cuvee is notable for its natural vinification process, eschewing sulfur and exclusively bottled in Magnums. Additionally, a 0.40-hectare parcel of half-century-old vines in the Grand Cru Chapelle Chambertin yields one of her most acclaimed wines. This is rivaled only by the Cecile Tremblay Echézeaux du Dessus, consistently celebrated as one of the finest wines from that vineyard. The Echézeaux du Dessus, featuring 40-year-old vines, is ideally situated in the lieu-dit, bordering Grands Echézeaux, encapsulating the essence of Cécile's winemaking philosophy and the rich heritage of her family.
In the Vineyard
The vineyards were not in great condition when Cécile Tremblay took over in 2002, tired by an overuse of chemicals products.
Persuaded of the critical importance of the biodiversity in the vineyards Cécile started the long conversion process to biodynamic management right away. The full domaine got certified organic in 2005 and biodynamic in 2016.
Cécile Tremblay’s meticulous work in the vineyards carried out throughout the year ensures that when harvest comes, each vine provides fruits that best reveal each terroir.
Prior to deciding when to harvest, Cécile spends hours in her vineyards, testing grapes from the bottom end of a row of vines, to the upper end.
In the Cellar
During harvest, a first strict sorting is carried out in the vineyards. The grapes then go to refrigerated trucks for the night. The next morning, at the cellar, the grapes will be sorted again and Cécile decides whether they need to be de-stemmed or not.
There are no set rules and decisions are guided by the conditions of the specific vintage and it’s impact on each and every plots. After a cold maceration, the fermentation takes place in wooden vats with indigenous yeasts only.
Cécile does not use pigeage or remontage much, but again, it depends on the vintage and what she tastes. After a gentle pressurage, the wines are transferred into barrels for 12 to 18 months of aging with no raking. The barrels come from one of the best cooper in Burgundy: Stéphane Chassin, Each barrel is tailor-made to suit the domaine’s different cuvées. Cecile Tremblay chooses the barrels meticulously and the location of each oak used to make the barrels is written on the barrels. No such precise work is seen anywhere else in burgundy. The wines are then bottled unfiltered and unfined with non-detectable TCA guarantee corks.
To ensure traceability, all Cécile Tremblay bottles are numbered. Since 2019, every bottle bear a RFID chip to ensure traceability. On top of that, Cecile Tremblay uses eProvenance services on all her shipments departing the winery to ensure the cold chain is kept up until delivery to the warehouse of every importers.
Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
This wine comes from a small 0.36-hectare plot of 80-year-old vines planted in a deep red, iron-imbued soil on a 15° slope just to the south of Gevrey-Chambertin. Cécile's vines are in the lieu-dit Les Gémeaux, next to the holdings of Domaine Claude Dugat.
About 1,500 bottles are produced every year.
Échézeaux "du Dessus" Grand Cru
This Échézeaux comes from a tiny plot of 45-year-old vines. Cécile only produces 3 barrels of this Grand Cru every year.
About 900 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Feusselottes
The Chambolle 1er Cru Les Feusselottes is adjacent to the vineyard Les Charmes. Cécile owns 0.45 hectares of vines split between two parcels, one high on the slope with shallow topsoil that gives lots of minerality to the wine and one lower on the slope with deeper topsoil.
About 2,000 bottles are produced every year.
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
First vintage in 2022, producing about 2 barrels a year
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Les Beaux Monts
This Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru comes from a 1.5-hectare parcel planted in 1927.
About 600 bottles are produced every year.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Les Rouges du Dessus
The vineyard of Les Rouges du Dessus sites on top of the slope in Flagey-Echézeaux, just above Echézeaux itself.
Cécile first produced this cuvée for the 2008 vintage. About 700 bottles are produced every year.
Vosne-Romanée Village
Vieilles Vignes
This Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 2 parcels of vines. A tiny 0.23-hectare plot in Jacquines planted with 50-year-old vines and Aux Communes planted with 40-year-old vines. Both parcels cover a total of 0.53 hectares.
About 2,700 bottles are produced every year.
Morey-Saint-Denis Village
Très Girard
The vineyard of Cecile Tremblay Très Girard is situated just below the 1er Cru of Clos des Sorbets and 100 metres from her winery. This cuvée comes from a 0.5-hectare plot planted with 40-45-year-old vines. The vines are sited on an easterly facing slope to the west of the main road, where all the best village sites are found.
About 1,500 bottles are produced every year.
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru
Aux Murgers
Les Murgers is at the northern end of the Nuits-Saint-Georges. The vineyard lies on the midslope, below the La Richemone and Aux Chaignots 1er Cru climats.
2009 was the first year Cécile bottled this wine as a 1er Cru. About 900 bottles are produced every year.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Village
Albuca
About only 300 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny Village
Les Cabottes
The first vintage of this Chambolle-Musigny Village was in 2003 using vineyards that had been in her family since 1921.
About 2,700 bottles are produced every year.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir
La Croix Blanche
This Bourgogne Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard in the lieu-dit of La Croix Blanche, on the Nuits-Saint-Georges side of Vosne-Romanée.
Bourgogne Cote d’Or
This Bourgogne Pinot Noir comes from the small negociant operation of Cecile Tremblay. It is not produced every year but only when she manages to find amazing grapes.
