Wine Advisor
Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good saturated dark red. Pungent, mineral-driven aromas of raspberry, smoke, cocoa powder and spices. Silky on entry, then lush and seamless in the middle; a distinct step up in sweetness and depth from the foregoing samples. At once velvety and weightless in the manner of a top grand cru, offering superb lift, an impression of strong extract, and an ineffable floral quality. Wonderfully sappy, sweet and long on the aftertaste, with the fine-grained tannins concealed by a whiplash of fruit. I found this bottle remarkably sexy already, but it should be better a decade from now.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(from 36-year-old vines) Good medium red. Highly perfumed nose offers captivating aromas of raspberry, rose petal and minerals. Sweet, lush and creamy but with a light touch and lovely purity and definition from its firm underlying minerality. Very perfumed, gripping and long on the aftertaste. My calling card, says Cathiard. A standout in 2005. (Incidentally, Cathiard's production of Malconsorts will drop dramatically, as he has had to give up the fruit that came from the Thomas-Moillard estate purchased by Domaines de Montille and Dujac. He had previously received a portion of the fruit in exchange for working the vines, and so, in order to end this lease arrangement, Etienne de Montille traded the Cathiards 0.43 ares of Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Thoreys as of 2006.)
About the Producer
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard is a well-regarded family wine producer based in the village of Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. It is known for its highly sought-after premium-priced Pinot Noir wines from plots in premier and grand cru vineyards throughout Vosne and the surrounding appellations. The domaine's history begins with Sylvain's grandfather, who began making wine in Burgundy in the 1930s. Sylvain's father André took over the winery in 1969, and ran it through to the 1980s when Sylvain became involved. He initially rented parcels of vines from his father and other vignerons to make his own wine, before he eventually taking over the family's vineyards. In 2006 his son Sébastien joined him and the domaine took on its contemporary name of Domaine Sylvain Cathiard et Fils. All the vineyard work is done by Sylvain and his wife and his son. The domaine has roughly five hectares (12 acres) of vines spread between Vosne-Romanée, Nuit-Saint-Georges and Chambolle-Musigny, including a tiny plot in Romanée-Saint-Vivant. The most prestigious of its wines come from this grand cru vineyard, and the portfolio also includes several premier cru wines from both Nuit-St-Georges and Vosne-Romanée. Cathiard also makes village-level Vosne-Romanée and a Bourgogne Rouge, both of which command high prices.
