Cecile Tremblay

The history of Domaine Cécile Tremblay

The estate’s story begins in 2003, when Cécile Tremblay, aged 25 and newly graduated, decided to take back the family vineyards, which had until then been leased out. Passed down by her great-grandparents and in the family since 1921, these parcels are among the best situated in the Côte de Nuits. The first in her family to make wine herself, she inherited an exceptional vineyard holding and a prestigious lineage—that of the Jayers—while quickly establishing a personal style founded on restraint, sensuality and the transparency of the fruit.

The first years were spent in a modest winery in Vosne-Romanée, before a dedicated cellar was built in 2012 and an expansion was completed in 2021. In 2022, the end of several leases allowed the estate to add around three hectares, mainly in Morey-Saint-Denis and Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaumonts, along with a few rows in Clos de Vougeot. A parcel in the exceptionally rare Griotte-Chambertin joins the range from the 2024 vintage. Over roughly twenty vintages, the estate has grown from four hectares to nearly ten, becoming an essential reference for lovers of fine Burgundy wines.

Terroirs and vineyards of Domaine Cécile Tremblay

The vineyards stretch from north to south across the Côte de Nuits, from Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges, forming a mosaic of small parcels spread over eleven appellations. Though this dispersion presents logistical challenges, it is the estate’s strength: each climat offers its own expression of clay-limestone soils, marl, gravel and stony subsoils. The vines are relatively old on average—often fifty years, and sometimes eighty years in the Grands Crus—resulting in naturally low yields and highly concentrated grapes.

The vineyards have been farmed organically, with Ecocert certification obtained as early as 2005, and biodynamically since the estate’s beginnings. Cécile Tremblay works according to the lunar calendar, prepares herbal infusions to revitalize the vines and dynamizes the water sprayed on them. Some soils are plowed by horse to preserve microbial life. Pruning is tailored to each parcel, and rigorous spring disbudding balances the crop load and helps ensure impeccably healthy grapes.

Winemaking at Domaine Cécile Tremblay

The grapes are harvested entirely by hand and rigorously sorted both in the vineyard and at the winery. Vinification takes place in wooden vats over about three weeks, with the proportion of whole clusters (grapes left on their stems) varying by vintage and terroir, bringing freshness, floral notes and energy to the palate. Extraction is deliberately gentle, favoring delicate pump-overs rather than forceful punch-downs to preserve the finesse of the tannins.

After pressing, the wines are aged in barrels for fifteen to eighteen months, with measured use of new oak that takes a back seat to the fruit. Intervention is kept to a strict minimum, racking is limited and sulfites are used sparingly; some cuvées receive no added sulfur at all. The result is wines with a silky texture that are approachable in their youth, yet have the mineral backbone and length for excellent aging potential.

The cuvées of Domaine Cécile Tremblay

Bourgogne Côte d’Or La Croix Blanche: sourced from a lieu-dit on the Nuits-Saint-Georges side of Vosne-Romanée, this entry-level cuvée offers an appealing Pinot Noir with cherry and raspberry notes. Supple and fragrant, it is an ideal introduction to the estate’s style. The estate rounds out its range with a small négociant operation run to the same exacting standards.

Morey-Saint-Denis Très Girard: a true flagship among the estate’s village wines, this half-hectare parcel of 40- to 45-year-old vines lies just below the Premier Cru Clos des Sorbets, about a hundred meters from the winery. The wine is pure and fragrant, with exceptionally fine texture and notes of red fruit and sweet spices. Production is around 1,500 bottles a year.

Chambolle-Musigny Les Cabottes: a blend of small parcels in Aux Fremiers, Aux Échanges and Les Maladières, this village wine is vinified with very gentle extraction. Its dense fruit, luscious flavors and delicate, quintessentially Chambolle tannins are captivating. First produced in 2003, with around 2,700 bottles made each year.

Chambolle-Musigny Aux Échanges: a rare, distinctive cuvée from a parcel high on the slope, vinified with whole clusters and no added sulfur. Because quantities are so small, it is bottled exclusively in magnums. Floral, saline and vibrant, it is often considered the estate’s most accomplished village wine.

Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes: a blend of two parcels, Aux Jacquines (50-year-old vines) and Aux Communes (40-year-old vines), totaling 0.53 hectares. Deeper and spicier than its counterparts, this village wine shows remarkable density, with the dark-fruit and rose aromas characteristic of Vosne. Around 2,700 bottles per vintage.

Nuits-Saint-Georges Albuca: this village cuvée expresses the power and structure characteristic of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The color is intense; the nose blends cherry, strawberry and blackcurrant with floral and licorice notes; and the palate is firm and full-bodied. It needs a few years in the cellar to fully soften.

Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes: half a hectare of 50-year-old vines in a small depression at the center of the village, between Chambolle’s two hills. The shallow soil accounts for this Premier Cru’s mineral, chalky finish. Aromatic, spicy and elegantly smoky, it is produced in quantities of around 2,000 bottles.

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Rouges du Dessus: a tiny 0.23-hectare parcel of 40-year-old vines on the appellation’s upper slopes. First vinified in 2008, this rare cuvée (around 700 bottles) stands out for the clarity of its flavors, its aromas of wild dark berries and its exceptional purity. It is a distinctive wine that rewards cellaring.

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts: sourced from 75-year-old vines in this extensive Premier Cru, it was long produced in quantities of just two or three barrels before an additional 2.5 hectares were added in 2022. Floral, refined and immediately alluring, it combines generous structure with remarkable elegance of texture.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Murgers: located in the northern part of the appellation, very close to Vosne-Romanée, this stony climat produces a wine that is both deep and poised. Dark fruit, spices and woodland notes unfold against a firm tannic structure and a long, saline finish.

Échezeaux Grand Cru du Dessus: sourced from a tiny parcel of 45-year-old vines, this Grand Cru yields just three barrels a year. Distinctive, earthy and exceptionally pure, it offers a generous, harmonious palate, an ultra-velvety texture and impressive length. It ranks among the finest expressions of this climat.

Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru: a parcel of around 0.36 hectares planted with 80-year-old vines in the Les Gémeaux lieu-dit, on deep, iron-rich red soil. Powerful and enveloping, this Grand Cru combines floral and spice intensity, a silky texture and firm tannins that call for lengthy aging. Production is limited to around 1,500 bottles.

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru: added to the range with the 2022 vintage, thanks to a few rows reclaimed at the end of a lease. Earthier and more robust, with an imposing structure, it nevertheless retains the elegance and precision that define the estate’s style.

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru: the newest cuvée, from a parcel in Gevrey-Chambertin’s smallest and most sought-after Grand Cru, vinified from the 2024 vintage onward. Renowned for its Morello cherry aromas and luscious character, this climat promises a strikingly sensual wine, both delicate and deep, produced in extremely limited quantities.