Tasted on a hot day in Chablis with Vincent Tremblay, 31 March 2021 – one week before the frost arrived.
Domaine Gérard Tremblay
12 Rue de Poinchy
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 40 98
www.chablis-tremblay.com
Another domaine that I wanted to visit after tasting a fine Petit Chablis from them in January.
Vincent Tremblay, who did wine-making stages in Australia and South Africa in the early 2000s, explains about the domaine; “With my sister, Eléonore, we’re the 6th generation at the domaine. It was our parents, Gérard and Hélène, who really began the domaine bottling here – that was in the 1990s. Our grandparents had to deal with a lot more frost and so principally sold in bulk. It’s about 10 years now that we have commercialised everything in bottle. Over 60% of our production is exported and to over 30 countries.
“Our approach is raisonnée in the vines, with the minimum of treatments – we made just 5 last year – I think this showed in how easy the 2020 fermentations were. We mechanical harvest but no surprise with 37 hectares of vines. All our manipulations are by gravity at harvest-time. We use a little barrel elevage but mainly it’s stainless-steel tanks here.”
The wines…
Each wine with a distinct personality. I particularly found the entry-level wines to be top class here – really impressive – and with much finesse throughout the range.
Mainly vines near the 1er cru of Beauroy on a Portlandian base.
The nose is wide, faintly textured – quite attractive – subtly growing with a floral note too. Mineral, structural, mouth-watering – growing in volume. Perfect PC – delicious but not simple. Long, a slightly saline finish too. Bravo.
There’s 20 ha of Chablis here – parents, Gérard and Hélène, bought in the 1970s. Vines at the bottom of Fourchaume and Beauroy, principally in the area of Beines.
A little extra aromatic impact – more fruit here – but fine and agrume in style with salinity. Extra mineral, depth of flavour too. That’s a super wine – mouth-watering and properly mineral. A great villages Chablis – bravo. Super finishing.
2019 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
Vines over 40 years old – but dotted around the place so not usually one parcel.
A little aromatic discretion. In the mouth wider and more intense – the concentration growing. Long finishing too – a wine of wiry muscle and good tension. That’s excellent. A burst of finishing flavour, saline accented.
2019 Chablis Cuvée Helene
The same base-wine as last but with barrel elevage – named after Vincent’s mum.
A rounder, overtly oaked nose – a creamy style. Nicely fresh and direct – the oak less obvious in the flavours to start but the flavour mounts in the middle and finish. Properly mineral in the finish.
2019 Chablis 1er Beauroy
A single parcel on the hill of Troesmes, replanted at the start of the 2000s
A more compact nose but of good depth and clarity. Hmm, that melts very nicely over the palate – supple and sinuous. Excellent Beauroy, lightly floral in the finish.
2019 Chablis 1er Côte de Lechets
3 ha spread over 4 parcels.
A little more width – pure yellow citrus – that’s a great invitation – slowly adding florals too. Mouth-filling, mineral, more airy, delicate even, style – open flavours of flowers and mineral and modest agrumes – it’s a very fine blend – excellent, delicious wine.
2019 Chablis 1er Montmains
Two parces in Montmains proper
Here the nose is more accented toward the mineral depth. Wide over the palate and nicely textured too. Supple, even slightly soft, layered flavour. Not lacking concentration but certainly not strict either. Mineral but comfortable wine. Strong finishing – the concentration visible here – that’s very good – each wine with a distinct personality.
2019 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
5 ha of this in 7 parcels – much from Vincent’s grandparents who originated from La Chapelle – half a hectare is in Homme Mort but the rest in Fourchaume proper.
Higher tones, floral notes a little more golden fruit. More direct, almost lacy – there’s plenty of energy here and a changing, complexity of flavour, but not a wine of impact – a little in the style of the Lechets – beautifully finishing, mineral flavour – that’s a great finish. Excellent wine, real finesse here.
Planted in 1951 by grandfather, half a hectare
Different, deeper aromatics. More supple and concentrated – a different style, slight cushioning from the concentration – texturally different – melting flavour over the palate. Contemplative but with an extra width of mineral finishing flavour without losing its elegance – a great finish again – a great Fourchaume!
2019 Chablis Vaudesir
0.62 ha – this the last bottled – done in October.
A broad width and concentration of aroma – a very fine invitation. Supple, evident concentration here too – the flavour going in all directions – a proper step-up from the previous wines – not just ‘simply’ more concentration. This is texturally lovely and always changing its flavours. Proper, excellent grand cru, finishing mineral with a slight cushion – and very easy to take a second glass…