Chapelle Chambertin, Cecile Tremblay 2013

Picked on October 4, the 2013 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru is another high point in this vertical, testimony to how good this underrated vintage has turned out to be for the top producers of the Côte de Nuits and beyond. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of exotic spices, musk, blood orange, red berries, plums and forest floor, it's full-bodied, velvety and vibrant, with a seamless, sensual core of fruit framed by ripe tannins and lively acids. Deep and complete, it's one of my favorite vintages from Tremblay to drink today, even if it will continue to improve for several years.

Moderate oak influence frames pungently earthy and brooding aromas of plum, spice and humus and an abundance of floral elements. The broad-shouldered yet refined medium weight plus flavors seem built on a base of fine minerality and are shaped by firm tannins, though they're not quite as dense as those of the Echézeaux, all wrapped in a highly complex, balanced and strikingly long finish. This beauty should also amply reward extended cellaring. Note: from a .38 ha parcel in En Gémeaux