Terroir Insight: Cécile Tremblay Nuits-Saint-Georges Les (Aux) Murgers

Nuits-Saint-Georges vineyards are somewhat overlooked in favour of their more illustrious northern neighbours. But prominent producers in Vosne-Romanee and some top-end producers in Nuits are working hard to change this.

Aux Murgers is one of the overlooked gems of the appellation, although the results of recent auctions at the Hospice de Nuits have put this vineyard back on the map.

Aux Murgers is getting more and more focus thanks to the top Vosne producers who make delicately decadent wines from this terroir.

Names like Cathiard, but also Cécile Tremblay, are creating attention despite the fact that, especially, the Tremblay cuvee is rarely seen in the market.

Last month I did, however stumble, upon a Murgers 2015 from Tremblay, and it was a lovely treat. So let’s take a closer look at Cécile’s plot.

I am finding more and more joy and hedonistic pleasure in the Tremblay wines. They offer forward drinkability, yet at the same time are real, substantial wines with depth, intensity, and structure. The organic feel of their mid-palate fruit is truly delightful.

Let’s go to Murgers!

Cécile Tremblay’s vineyards

Cécile Tremblay began her endeavour in 2002-03, as she took over some of her family’s vineyards and started producing wine.

The vineyards originally come from the Edouard Jayer estate. Edouard, Henri Jayer’s uncle, was a cooper in Nuits-Saint-Georges before World War I, and Cécile’s great-grandfather. In 1921, he married Esther Fournier, who came from a vigneron family, and they established their estate based on vineyards from her inheritance, gradually expanding the portfolio over the years.

In 1950, the vineyards were shared amongst their five children. Renée – the youngest daughter – kept her vineyards and rented them out in metayage (share-cropping). Her only daughter, Marie Annick, and her husband continued to expand the estate while keeping it under metayage until 2002.

After her studies, their daughter Cécile decided to take over her parents’ vineyards, and this was the birth of the delightful Domaine Cécile Tremblay at the beginning of 2003.

As mentioned, the vineyards prior to 2003 were rented out to other growers. Cécile was able to take back 3 hectares at the beginning, and has been taking back more as the leases expire.

The NSG Aux Murgers returned to Domaine Tremblay in 2008/2009, with Cécile’s first vintage of the wine being ’09.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Murgers

Nuits Aux Murgers is located between Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the heart of the Vosne-side NSG vines (see map below).

Aux Murgers is a modestly sized vineyard – in total 4.89 ha – divided into many plots. As with vineyards located between Nuits and Vosne, growers from Vosne are dominant, as well as prominent, as Cathiard seems to have been the engine for fame and glory.

Domaines Hudelot-Noellat, Meo-Camuzet, and Perrot-Minot are important owners, although the Perrot-Minot wine is bottled as a village cuvee, blending grapes from Nuits Saint Georges Aux Murgers and Aux Cras.

Looking at the historic and official sources, the term Aux Murgers seems to be the correct term. However, Les Murgers is quite often used on labels. Sebastien Cathiard of Domaine Silvain Cathiard is using Aux Murgers, and is Meo-Camuzet. Hudelot-Noellat uses Les Murgers and this tradition is also followed by Cécile Tremblay. The Hospice de Nuits calls its Cuvee “Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Murgers – Cuvée Guyard de Changey.”

Domaine Cécile Tremblay Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Murgers

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