This is a rarity among wines in today's climate - a Burgundian white that is not over-priced and is worth every penny of the entry fee. This is a delicious, complex and refreshing wine, truly deserving of the status that its appellation affords!
With a palate that is as clean as a whistle, this wine is surprisingly generous with a juicy and fleshy palate weight, complex flavours of fresh orchard fruits with red and green apple, delicate blossom, lime and flinty mineral notes (the winery call it an aroma of "Oyster Shells", which I think is lovely!). It is simply delicious! The funny thing being that it almost comes further alive with food, rather than becoming overpowered.
This excellence comes from two sources, the winery and the vineyard.
The vines for the Domaine's Chablis are between 10 and 30 years old and are all grown on the rare chalky Kimmeridgian soil - the secret weapon of all great Chablis - and are close to their Premier and Grand Cru sites.
The winery, now run by the 6th-Generation of the Tremblay family, has recently been converted to a gravity-fed winery that means a very gentle winemaking action, including slow and delicate extraction from skins, a slow fermentation and a longer period for lees ageing, with no electric pump-overs. All in all, designed to keep flavours as interesting as possible, with textures as vibrant as they can be.
The Domaine itself was, like so many in Chablis, part of a municipal agricultural offering, with cattle and other crops being farmed in order not to put all their eggs in one basket. I'm sure they kept hens too. One of the reasons for this was the prevalence of spring frosts, the nemesis of marginal winemaking climates. Though frosts are by no means a thing of the past (2016, 2017 and 2021 come immediately to mind with staggering losses suffered by the region), the advances in technology and vineyard knowledge has meant that some areas are much better able to deal with it when it comes at vital times in the growing cycle.
Domaine Gérard Tremblay now covers a total of 37 hectares, with 10 hectares of Premier and Grand Cru sites. Vincent Tremblay (Gérard's son) and his daughter Eleonore run the estate and are clearly taking it into the future in superb condition.
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Grape(s): Chardonnay
Style: Vibrant, Pure, Mineral, Medium-Light, Herbaceous, Fruity, Fresh, Engaging, Elegant, Crisp, Complex, Bright
Best food matches: Warm Salads, Tuna, Trout, Tapas, Sushi, St Stephen's Day, Squid, Soft Cheeses, Shellfish, Seafood, Scallops, Salads, Roasts, Poultry, Pork, Oysters, Offal, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Grills, Grilled Vegetables, Fine Dining, Christmas Dinner, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Baked Fish
Alcohol: 13%
