Sylvain Cathiard
About Sylvain Cathiard
Originating from Savoie and arriving in Burgundy to work with the imperious Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Domaine Lamarche, the Cathiard family possess one of the most impressive collective CVs in the world. It has, expectedly, forged its glorious reputation later when they started a winery themselves.
Currently at the helm is Sebastian Cathiard, the third generation of the family, who cultivates a mere 5.5 hectares of land spread over so many sites with none bigger than one hectare. For context, the largest cuvée Cathiard produces is the Bourgogne Rouge, which sees just over 2,000 bottles of production each year.
Because of the scarcity, the unmatched demand and the heavy allocation for top restaurants, his wines are, naturally, some of the hardest to acquire.
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Vinous (87-90)
(50% new oak): Good dark red with ruby tones. Slightly reduced aromas of black raspberry, smoke, iron, earth and stony minerality. Juicy, intense purple fruit flavors show a fine-grained texture and noteworthy inner-mouth energy. Finishes with excellent length and lift but the spicy tannins come off as a bit drier than those of the Vosne villages, perhaps the result of the recent sulfur addition.Inc. VAT£2,580.04 -
Vinous (93)
The 2014 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru is developing beautifully on the nose, perhaps shunning its nascent opulence and manifesting much more intriguing brambly black fruit, black truffle, iodine and seaweed scents. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, pliant tannins, dark berry fruit and a surprisingly structured, not austere but serious finish. Drinking beautifully now, this clearly has an evolution that will be fascinating to follow. Tasted at Maufoux in Chablis.Inc. VAT£2,932.84 -
Vinous (89-91)
(two-thirds new oak; from 70-year-old vines in a parcel next to Vosne-Romanée): Good dark red. Crushed blackberry and blueberry aromas convey a sweet oak quality. Dense, sappy wine with intense dark fruit and spice flavors. The tannins are a bit aggressive today but there's plenty of buffering fruit. This seriously structured, persistent village wine has the structure for aging.Inc. VAT£1,563.64 -
Wine Advocate (96-98)
The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts has just a little less new oak than the Les Suchots this year. The aromatics are more backward and recalcitrant than the Les Suchots and demanded more coaxing from the glass. There is a sense of depth to the fruit, almost an opacity that suggests the fruit will only gradually open up. It was difficult wrenching your nose away from the glass! The palate is beautifully balanced with succulent fleshy tannin, voluminous in the mouth with immense concentration counterbalanced by a keen line of acidity. Very persistent in the mouth, this will be immense once in bottle. Cellar for as long as you can.Inc. VAT£7,472.44 -
Vinous (91-93)
(these 18-year-old vines are planted to three clones): The most reduced of these 2014s on the nose, but still with captivating scents of black raspberry, licorice and pungent crushed-rock minerality. Delivers a wonderfully silky texture enlivened by harmonious acidity. One senses a strong rocky element and yet the wine shows no edges. This seamless wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring a hint of dark chocolate and noble tannins. A beauty, and clearly a bottling to follow as the vines continue to mature.Inc. VAT£7,243.24
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Vinous (87-90)
(50% new oak): Good dark red with ruby tones. Slightly reduced aromas of black raspberry, smoke, iron, earth and stony minerality. Juicy, intense purple fruit flavors show a fine-grained texture and noteworthy inner-mouth energy. Finishes with excellent length and lift but the spicy tannins come off as a bit drier than those of the Vosne villages, perhaps the result of the recent sulfur addition.In Bond£2,134.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2014 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 1er Cru is developing beautifully on the nose, perhaps shunning its nascent opulence and manifesting much more intriguing brambly black fruit, black truffle, iodine and seaweed scents. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, pliant tannins, dark berry fruit and a surprisingly structured, not austere but serious finish. Drinking beautifully now, this clearly has an evolution that will be fascinating to follow. Tasted at Maufoux in Chablis.In Bond£2,428.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
(two-thirds new oak; from 70-year-old vines in a parcel next to Vosne-Romanée): Good dark red. Crushed blackberry and blueberry aromas convey a sweet oak quality. Dense, sappy wine with intense dark fruit and spice flavors. The tannins are a bit aggressive today but there's plenty of buffering fruit. This seriously structured, persistent village wine has the structure for aging.In Bond£1,287.00 -
Wine Advocate (96-98)
The 2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts has just a little less new oak than the Les Suchots this year. The aromatics are more backward and recalcitrant than the Les Suchots and demanded more coaxing from the glass. There is a sense of depth to the fruit, almost an opacity that suggests the fruit will only gradually open up. It was difficult wrenching your nose away from the glass! The palate is beautifully balanced with succulent fleshy tannin, voluminous in the mouth with immense concentration counterbalanced by a keen line of acidity. Very persistent in the mouth, this will be immense once in bottle. Cellar for as long as you can.In Bond£6,211.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
(these 18-year-old vines are planted to three clones): The most reduced of these 2014s on the nose, but still with captivating scents of black raspberry, licorice and pungent crushed-rock minerality. Delivers a wonderfully silky texture enlivened by harmonious acidity. One senses a strong rocky element and yet the wine shows no edges. This seamless wine boasts a long, rising finish featuring a hint of dark chocolate and noble tannins. A beauty, and clearly a bottling to follow as the vines continue to mature.In Bond£6,020.00