Wine Advisor
Sylvain Cathiard, Vosne Romanee 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(50% new oak): Bright red with ruby tones. Musky, carnal aromas of blueberry, blackberry and violet. Concentratred and sweet but with sound framing acidity. Actually a bit disjointed today but has good material. I like the wine's subtly wild gamey aspect. (Cathiard's Bourgogne Rouge similarly displays a wild quality to its black fruit, violet and licorice flavors, not to mention very good intensity, but its firm tannins will make it tough going early on.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Vosne-Romanée, matured in 50% new oak, finished its malolactic in October. It has a perfumed, quite floral bouquet, a mixture of blackberry and blueberry fruit with just a hint of crushed violet. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, a subtle marine influence with a touch of sea salt on the vibrant finish. I expect this will land at the top of my banded score once in bottle.
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.
