Domaine Cecile Tremblay
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After taking the reins of the family estate in 2002, Cecile Tremblay set out to completely re-craft the methods in the vineyard and winery, converting the entire estate to biodynamic viticulture. Fastidious in the vineyards and with gentle precision in the cellar, today Cecile's wines are among the most sought-after in all of France. She holds incredible plots in multiple Grand Crus and Premier Crus, but her Bourgognes are fantastic, often stellar lieux-dits vinified in the same fashion as the top wines.
Born into wine, Cecile is the descendent of the famed Jayer family - Henri's uncle was Cecile's great-grandfather - and the heir to her family's collection of vineyards. When she took over in 2002, Cecile found the soils and vines tired, weary from years of chemical fertilizers, weedkillers and all the methods that were once purported to craft the best wines. Cecile's first edict to herself was to convert the entire estate to biodynamic viticulture, following in the footsteps of famous vigneronnes such as Mmes. Leroy & Leflaive.
As her vines regained health, her small production caught the eye and palate of many a smart taster. She crafted her entire production out of what amounted to a garage for the first decade, and in 2013 was finally able to build her own winery, adjacent to her residence in Morey-Saint-Denis.
We've heard from many a former pupil of Cecile's that she is famously exacting, tasting berries again and again in the vineyards, waiting until the point of absolute perfection for her palate before harvesting a vineyard. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard, and again in the winery to ensure the finest fruit. From this point, nothing is dogmatic - a decision on retaining whole clusters will be made, and the grapes will be put into wooden vats after sorting. Occasionally, depending on the vintage, there could be gentle pump-overs or pigeage, as she feels is necessary. After fermentation completes, the berries will undergo a very light pressing, then combined with the free-run juice into barrels (crafted by top cooper Stéphane Chassin) where they will age 12-18 months; even the barrels are precisely chosen based on each vineyard and resulting cuvée, as the different forests can generate a unique flavor or feel.
Very rarely do you see such precision or attention to detail, while at the same time having such passion and feel imbued into the wines. This is a very special estate, and her wines reflect every ounce of effort.
