2004 Domaine Cecile Tremblay Chapelle-Chambertin

Domaine Cecile Tremblay was founded in 2003 by Cecile Tremblay, who comes from Burgundian winemaking aristocracy. She is the grandniece of the late, legendary Henri Jayer, and she is also descended from the famous Mugneret winemaking family. So it is perhaps no surprise that In little more than a decade her wines have become stars of the wine lists in some of Paris’ most prestigious restaurants. Cecile Tremblay’s 10 acres in the Cote de Nuits were passed down through both sides of her family, and her holdings including prime Grand Cru, Premier Cru and villages parcels, all worked according to strict biodynamic principles. Wine Advocate has called her wines “very fine, very classy,” and noted that she is “one of the new wave of cult winemakers whose small productions are rapidly snapped up by devotees.”

Chapelle-Chambertin is a 13.5-acre Grand Cru vineyard just north of Griotte-Chambertin in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its name comes from the chapel of Notre Dame de Beze, a chapel built in 1155 by the monks of Abbey de Beze and demolished several centuries later during the French Revolution. There is not much slope in this vineyard, nor much soil. Louis Jadot and Claude Dugat have small parcels here, though the largest landholders are Pierre Damoy, 5 acres; Ponsot 1.7 acres; and Jean and Jean-Louis Trapet, 1.5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.