GERARD TREMBLAY, CHABLIS
| 2010 |
Gerard Tremblay |
| white, 12.5% abv |
Burgundy |
75cl |
|
DOMAINE GÉRARD TREMBLAY, Chablis
Gérard Tremblay and his wife, Hélène, oversee a domain that they inherited in a line of five generations, but which they have mostly built themselves. With 80 acres of vines under production, most of them in the best ‘premier cru’ and ‘grand cru’ appellations, their list of Chablis is among the most prestigious in the region.
Tremblay is known locally as an accomplished wine maker. He is justly famous for his ability to draw out the typicity of
distinct appellations, underlining the terroir of his vines vintage after vintage.
The domain has a superb new winery, allowing them excellent conditions in which to bring out the quality of the fruit that
these vineyards produce. The entire winery works by gravity, avoiding unnecessary manipulations of the fruit or pumping of juices.
Grapes are brought directly from the fields and put into pneumatic presses. The juice is then left to settle for more 12 hours before being stocked in stainless steel tanks with individual temperature controls.
Strict hygiene and careful temperature control are the keys to mastering quality fermentation in Chardonnay. It is a delicate phase, and it is not surprising to find that the best winemakers in white are perfectionists to an extreme.
Average yearly production is around 1760 hectolitres, giving approximately 230,000 bottles per year. Much of the wine is
sold directly at the property, though they do export a limited quantity of their wine to carefully selected markets. They are
adamant the Tremblay wines only appear on wine lists or in specialty shops that can do justice to the quality product they are working to produce.
Understandably, their wines have been noticed by the Guide Hachette, Robert Parker, Dussert-Gerber (who ranks their
Grand Cru ‘Vaudésir’ as one of the top white Burgundies); Revue des Vins de France; Decanter; Cuisine et Vins de France;
Sommelier, etc.
The basic Chablis is unoaked from 10-30 year old vines grown on Kimmeridgean marl.
Whistle-fresh with notes of lemon, ozone, wet stone and a typical melange of mineral, toastiness and beewax.
Dry, light-bodied, but with a mid-weight sensation of red and green apples and skins mid-palate; The acidity bolts all the flavours into position and accentuates the richness and the length of the wine.
Classic, unoaked, crisp Chablis, perfect as an aperitif, or with light dishes.
“Regional-level Chablis is a notorious underperformer, often vastly over cropped and delivering little but a vapid white wine with bit a tangy finishing acidity and precious little Chablis character. The Tremblay Chablis however is a beautiful wine for its class, offering slightly austere, reserved, stony scents followed by light to barely medium weight, crisp, detailed flavours that carry plenty of flavour authority, all supported by bright, tangy yet ripe finishing acidity and fine persistence. This is by no means a big wine but there is no oak and it is pure, fine and focused. For those who admire Chablis with real Chablis character, rather than one made in the mould of a Côte d´Or wannabe, this would be an excellent choice offering solid quality at an approachable price.”
Allen Meadows, Burghound
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| €17.30 |
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