2021 Domaine Cecile Tremblay Chambolle Musigny "Les Cabottes"

A particular success this year is the 2021 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cabottes, a medium to full-bodied wine evocative of raspberries, cherries and petals that displays impressive depth and texture, framed by supple tannins and lively acids. As is my custom, I began my formal tastings of the 2021 vintage with Cécile Tremblay, catching the wines before they took their elevator ride to the ground floor preparatory to their racking and bottling next year. Given that this is a red Burgundy vintage that notably improved at many addresses between September and mid-December, one might imagine that my timing disadvantaged Tremblay's wines, but even tasted at this early stage, they stand out as some of the most compelling of the year. Indeed, I found myself thinking that I could sign up for a vintage of this style every year—if only it could come without the ravages of frost and the challenges of disease pressure, of course. Sensual, perfumed and precise, Tremblay's 2021s are especially well-integrated, and while they represent a notable change of pace after the saturated, concentrated 2020s, they represent a terrific success in a more traditionally Burgundian register. Alas, tiny quantities and insatiable demand mean that the wines will be harder than ever to find.(WK)