Tasted in Vosne-Romanée with Sébastien Cathiard, 23 November 2022.
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
20 Rue de la Goillotte
21700 Vosne-Romanée
Tel: +33 3 80 62 36 01
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Sébastien on 2021:
“It was the band of 1er crus and, of course, the Hautes Côtes where there were the biggest losses but it’s the lowest volume here – globally it’s minus 50% – luckily for the new cuverie we now have 5.3 hectares of Hautes Côtes vinified already in there and we are up to 12.5 ha for the whole domaine. 2020 was 30% down in volume but we still had more wine in 2020 than in 2021 – the whites weren’t bad in 2020 and we had extra aligfoté that year. 2/3rds of the domaine is regional wines today. In 2021 I started harvesting 23 September in the Hautes Côtes before moving to the Côte d’Or on the 27th. I think the wines are being well nourished by their lees so the second winter will be good as I think they are filling out nicely.”
The wines…
A very good to excellent range of wines in 2021 and given the longer elevage planned by Sébastien, my notes may prove a little conservative. It’s a nice new cuverie too, with a rabbit-warren of interconnecting cellars!
Nothing bottled – they won’t start that until the new year. The smallest cuvées we didn’t taste:
2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
2 parcels; one in Flagey – the historic parcel of the domaine – and another parcel in Croix Blanche that sits between Vosne and Nuits
A fine width – not too forward, not too compact. Broad – mineral – very nice purity and growing mineral intensity – a bit more time in elevage will pad this out too… It will be very good.
It’s already the 3rd vintage for the Hautes Côtes wines:
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
From Villars la Faye – domaine vines.
Again a nicely fresh not fully open nose but with fine red fruited purity. Here’s more impact and a little more cushion to the flavour too. Vibrant finishing and a little saline – fine perfume in this finish too.
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Aux Chaumes
Above Nuits. A place that holds its acidity well in the current climate – 400m altitude. Only about 1-2 days later maturing than the rest, and in 2021 not at all!
The redder fruit aroma is more to the fore for this one. Broad, a nice silky texture to this – a chalky finish in terms of flavour and texture – nice.
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Dames Huguette
Another small step up in the concentration of the red fruit aromas. The most incisive of these three Hautes Côtes; clean, pure and so faintly wrapped with a grainless tannin. Today the most complete of these and the one with the most impressive finish too – it’s really excellent!
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin
One parcel, in Champs Francs but not on the label. The least affected by the frost – only about 20% less!
Broader and more aromatic – that’s a larger-scaled and very attractive nose. Fuller in the mouth and very silky – a small tannin starts to show – the texture more of velour now – but here’s a finely mouth-watering flavour withn some attractive sucrosity. Broad finishing – the most concentrated yet here!
2021 Vosne-Romanée
From 5 parcels, 4 lieu dits, about one-third new oak – here – the historic wine of the domaine – no changes here.
More floral and spiced – the biggest aromatic step up so far. Good attack and quite some architectural shape too – no simple, easy-drinking VR today – but an impressive wine all the same – wait 2-3 years for this, most likely for drinking from 7-8 years onwards…
2021 Chambolle-Musigny Les Clos de l’Orme
Vllages wine here
A good width of perfume from this one. A similar, structural, style to this but just a little rounder at the edges – melting with a fine clarity of flavour. It’s also a wine that will benefit from some patience – there’s a lovely burst of finishing flavour today…
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Thorey
There’s an extra width to this aroma and a little more impression of padding too. Broad, intense, rather perfumed wine in this case. That’s very lovely.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Murgers
The width of the previous but with more floral expression – a beauty. Direct, a cascade of juicy flavour and like many here with a hint of structural austerity but such brilliance of finishing flavours. That’s so, so, good! You will need a little patience – simply excellent wine!
2021 Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts
1972 and 1973 in two plantations.
A smaller volume of aroma but no less perfumed. Broader, more accommodating shape – still lots of volume and a really great energy. So mouth-watering. The finish again a small step up – again simply excellent wine – so juicy finishing, mineral finishing too.
And to finish the reds:
2020 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Dames Huguette
A different width – more – still red fruit and with some freshness here too. Supple, a little graphite minerality and a melting, fine, slightly sweet finishing. Completely delicious – and you could keep it as long as you like. ‘13-13.5° here vs more than 14° in many cases in the côte…‘
2017 Nuits St.Georges
A really forward and open nose – quite high toned. Mouth-watering width of flavour here – again red fruit and quite some finishing salinity too – long, broad finishing that’s drinking very well.
2016 Nuits st.Georges 1er Murgers
A fuller, rounder nose – dark red fruit very faintly with some extra complexity but still too young to say any maturity. Wide, vibrant, slightly padded, and super juicy – that’s a beautiful flavour but still a wine to keep 3-4 years – as a starting point. Very lovely!
Finally, a white!
2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
This was bottled in April – the same time as the domaine’s 2020s – this already heading into the market – just 6 months in tank for elevage – zero barrels here. 95% from Villars la Faye – 1940s vines in large part, the youngest vines from 1990
Broad, direct, structural aligoté. In the mouth this is a honey – melting, almost incisive, juicy flavoured – a faint tannin on the end of the tongue here – simple to appreciate but not a simple wine. I’d keep this 2 years before attacking – if I can!