When one thinks of effusive praise and consistent critical acclaim in Chablis, names like Dauvissat and Raveneau might spring to mind, but within the last few years, a more obscure name has entered the fold. Tremblay-Marchive, better recognized as Domaines des Malandes, has erupted onto the scene, impressing critics by the dozen and providing pleasure to anyone who’s privy enough to acquire the wines. Equipped with older, parcel-specific vines, a resolutely organic mindset, and traditional winemaking skills, today's 2019 has all the makings of a proper white Burgundy experience. That is, a wine that delivers (1) unmatched tension and balance, (2) a powerful range of minerals and taut fruit, and (3) effortless evolution in the cellar.
Frankly, white Burgundy is a category that has hypnotized sommeliers and connoisseurs for decades on end, but you generally have to shell out a pretty penny. That’s why savvy buyers have commenced a hurried exodus to the northernmost reaches of Burgundy, where isolated Chablis offers unrivaled Chardonnay value. And with the assistance of a budding importer who spent the better part of 2019 and early 2020 navigating back roads and shaking hands with Lyne Marchive, we’re finally able to offer today’s Chablis—a creamy, multi-textured, mineral-etched gem exploding with typicity and authenticity. Buy it for a blind tasting, buy it to accompany a fine dinner, buy it to enjoy on the back porch; no matter the occasion, it is guaranteed to perfectly fit the bill.
Lyne Marchive is a passionate vigneronne who has been at the helm of her family’s domaine since 1972 (as of 2018, she has officially handed the reins to her daughter and son). While she oversees the viticultural aspects, her winemaker, Guénolé Breteaudeau, crafts their wines with as little intervention as possible. Coming from Muscadet territory in the Loire, he was hired in 2006 after obtaining a degree in enology. A fun note: Before Lyne came aboard, most of her holdings had already been put together by her parents in the mid-1900s, when 2.5 acres of fertile land (i.e. wheat) could be traded for five acres of vineyard. Knowing what we do now about the landscape and profitability of wine, one part wheat for two parts grapes hardly seems like a fair trade!
To produce today’s Chablis, Tremblay-Marchive utilizes approximately 15 hectares of estate-owned vines throughout the region, divided up into three hillside parcels on the left bank of the Serein. Additionally, the vines here have impressive maturity, with the first having been planted in 1976. Through traditional winemaking, her sustainably farmed vines are transformed into a pure, strikingly authentic reflection of this storied terroir. Following harvest, fermentation (both alcoholic and malolactic) occurs in stainless steel tanks and the second step of this traditional, non-interventionist cellar work is to allow one year of lees aging. It was gently bottled in the beginning of 2021.
This is an instant classic in my book, in the sense that I could bring it to a blind tasting and have everyone in agreement that it’s a delicious, archetypal Chablis. The wine sparkles with a highly reflective straw-yellow core with blinding streaks of neon green. The nose fills the senses with salted lemon peel, lime leaf, grapefruit pith, ripe green apple, underripe peach, crushed white stones, oyster shell, and lees. All of this is seamlessly transferred onto the medium-bodied palate which further enlivens the senses with pulsing acidity, mouthwatering freshness, and vibrant explosions of stone minerality. Although I believe Tremblay-Marchive’s 2019 will be in its absolute best drinking window between 2023-2025, this is also a perfect wine to enjoy now—just decant 15 minutes and then serve in Burgundy or all-purpose stems. Whether for educational purposes or just a fun evening, this is guaranteed to delight. Cheers!
