Visiting Cécile Tremblay last month was special, as her estate has been enlarged with a number of new vineyards (understatement of the year), vineyards that bring Tremblay into another class of vigneronne. She now has more vineyards, and larger portions of some of the top ones, i.e. Beaux Monts and Echezeaux.
I will bring you more detail on the domaine’s enlargement when I have complete and accurate data.
Some background on Cécile Tremblay
Cécile Tremblay began her endeavour in 2002-03, taking over some of the family vineyards and beginning to produce wine.
The vineyards originally come from the Edouard Jayer estate – Henri Jayer’s uncle. Edouard Jayer was a cooper in Nuits-Saint-Georges before the First World War, and Cécile Tremblay’s great-grandfather. In 1921, he married Esther Fournier, who came from a vigneron family. They established their estate based on vineyards from the Fournier inheritance and expanded their holdings over the years.
In 1950, the vineyards were shared amongst their five children. Renée – the youngest daughter – kept her share, renting them out in metayage (share-cropping). Renée’s only daughter, Marie Annick, and her husband expanded the estate while still keeping it leased – until 2002.
After her studies, their daughter Cécile decided to take over the family vineyards as their leases expired – and thus was born the delightful Domaine Cécile Tremblay in early 2003.
As mentioned, the vineyards prior to 2003 were leased to other growers in metayage, but Cécile was able to take back three hectares in the beginning, and will take back more as the metayage agreements expire. This is where the new vineyards came from in 2022.
The approach at Domaine Cécile Tremblay is organic and biodynamic. It was certified organic in 2005, and in 2016 the biodynamic certification was attained.
The ’22 expansion
In 2022 there was an expansion of the estate, with vineyards returning from the Noëllat family. Of particular interest is the large plot of Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts and a plot of Beaux Monts Bas that is part of Echezeaux.
More about the Beaux Monts Bas in a future article.
The delicate 2022s
Cécile Tremblay makes intense, vivacious wines. They are extravagant, with rich mid-palate fruit and generous intensity. The 2022 vintage is in itself rich, but also a bit low on acidity, so prudence was important during vinification. Plots from the same vineyard do not necessarily have the same level of acidity (biodynamic grapes typically have better acidity than those using traditional viticulture).
Incorporating the new, not-yet-biodynamic vineyards in 2022 was thus a challenge for Cecilé, who decided to separate them into in a single cuvee: a Vosne 1er cru that also included the Echezeaux Beaux Monts Bas fruit.
This was perhaps not the perfect stylistic match for the ’22 vintage, but the Tremblay wines suit the vivid, energetic character of 2023. We tasted a wide sample of the ’23s as well, and they are nothing short of spectacular,
The 2022s themselves are, however, delightful and should not be underestimated. They provide pleasure in cask, amphora, tank, and bottle!
And so, to work. The wines were tasted on December 12, 2023.
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Bourgogne Rouge La Croix Blanche 2022
The Bourgogne La Croix Blanche is from the area below Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne. The 2022 is a rich, vivid wine. It has good tension and is lively, with delicate fruit and nice density. Very enjoyable.
(Drink From 2024) – Very Good – (87-88p) – 
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Morey-Saint-Denis 2022
The Morey village is intense and somewhat on the denser side. It has the appealing lightness of 2022, but it is also the only wine in the ’22 line-up in which one senses the low acidity. Nonetheless, a lovely Morey.
(Drink From 2031) – Very Good – (89-91p) –
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Chambolle-Musigny 2022
This beauty is from the Morey side of Chambolle. It includes grapes from Les Fremières, Aux Echanges, and Les Maladières. It’s light-footed, delicate, and a gorgeous Chambolle with a floral hint on the nose – peonies, or perhaps pink roses. A delightful village.
(Drink From 2031) – Very Good – (89-91p) – 
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes 2022
The Vosne-Romanée VV is a real step up in intensity; it comes from Les Jacquines and Les Communes. Vivid and full of tension, it is elegant and delicate. Highly energetic, this shows light-footed, zen-like balance. I love the bouquet of Vosne spices, slight hints of curry, cloves, and allspice, with peonies in the background.
(Drink From 2033) – Fine – (90-91p) – 
Domaine Cécile Tremblay Chambolle-Musigny Aux Echanges 2022
The Chambolle Aux Echanges is usually the best village wine from Tremblay. It’s vinified without sulphur and uses 100% whole-cluster fruit. Add to this the vine age -they were planted in 1927 – and the result is a wine with an organic character showing classic Chambolle refinement. It has effortless balance, and a silky texture. A sexy glass!
(Drink From 2031) – Fine+ – (91-92p) –
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- A Vin Vif - fresh, energetic and with a light appearance