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Burgundy Insights from the Winehog

Visit Domaine Cathiard tasting of the 2015s from cask

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Domaine Cathiard is now established as one of the top estates in Burgundy – quality has been truly impressive since the 2011 vintage – and the prices have skyrocketed in the great market as demand has grown exponentially.

So expectations are high when you visit the modern estate buildings at Domaine Chathiard … this is the clearly a place managed by a true perfectionist … attention to detail in impressive.


Photo: Sebastien Cathiard, November 2015

Sebastien Cathiard is the man behind this development, and while some say the wines were impressive before he took over, I for my part would say … the development in quality has improved tremendously since 2010 … and quality is now taken to an entirely other level. And I’m pretty sure Sebastien will not stop here … he will continue to improve the details and further refine the style.

With this I will come to the point .. the 2015s from Cathiard.

Impression and notes from the tasting of the 2015s

The 2015s from Cathiard continue the tendency with more detailed and transparent wines with less impression of oak, and a more pure and racy expression of the fruit.

The 2015s are rich and in cases velvet with a true generosity .. they are bigger wines than the magnificent 2014s – but seem to maintain the refined and detailed expression found in the 2014s.

As all other 2015s the wines reveal that this is indeed a hotter year, and this has expressed itself differently in the wines, and rearranged a bit in the order of my favorite wines – more about this later.

The wines offer a lovely juicy freshness to balance the generous fruit, they are vibrant and charming with a lovely tension between velvet fruit and some fresh red notes of pomegranate and red currant.

Starting out with the Domaine Cathiard, Bourgogne Rouge 2015 in my view one of the best generic Burgundies these days. The 2015 edition is even more full-bodied and vinous than the delightful 2014. The bouquet offer juicy red and dark berriers with a hint of earthy minerality. On the palate, juicy and rich fruit – fine freshness for the vintage – very good depth and length for a Bourgogne Rouge. A big Bourgogne rouge .. will most likely benefit from some cellaring to unfold the full potential – these are not just casual wines – Good+ – (87p).

The next step the Vosne-Romanee 2015 village – one of my benchmark village wines. This is perhaps the best village I have tasted from Cahtiard so far .. The bouquet is brimming with fruit – classic Vosne with some delightful fresh notes of red currant and pomegranate to ad energy. On the palate very balanced with a lovely vibrant energy from the red notes. A truly Fine+ – (91 – 92p) village … only matched by the top lieu-dit villages.

I normally don’t taste the Nuits-Saint-Georges village from cask – but this year I had the pleasure. It’s a slightly more dense and rich wine in 2015 than the Vosne-Romanée village – following the tendency of the vintage. The nose offer more dark fruit – intense and ripe with a fine earthyness. On the palate rich with a nice energy – hints of energetic red fruit that ads some vibrant freshness to the wine. A Very Good (89 – 90p) village – yet not quite a match for the Vosne refinement wise.

Next up is the magnificent Chambolle-Musigny Clos de l’Orme 2015 – from the center of the Chambolle appellation – just below Les Plantes. The middle part of the Chambolle appellation has done very well in the 2015 vintage with vineyards like Les Plantes and Feusselottes doing tremendously. The Clos de l’Orme is very vibrant and juicy and in that way overshadowing the Vosne-Romanée village. The bouquet is forward and vibrant with a lovely delicate red fruit – fresh and defined. On the palate very refined and precise – a single terroir wine in the glass – it somehow offers more energy than the two other villages – hence also the favorite village this year – although I love the Vosne-Romanée. Fine++ – (91 – 92p) – a truly delightful glass.


Photo: The magnificent RSV 2015

One of the treats in the 2015 vintage is the Domaine Cathiard Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Thorey 2015. Thorey is a slightly cooler terroir than some of the other 1er crus – and it has the benefit of a cooling breeze from the Combe that leads the road from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Vergy. In 2015 the Aux Thorey is very sexy benefiting from the hot and sunny summer – and offer the same hedonistic qualities that one normally finds in Aux Murgers. The midpalate offer plenty of energetic red fruit – very vibrant and with none of the slightly austere Nuits-Saint-Georges notes present. This is the most charming Aux Thorey I have tasted so far – Very Fine (92 – 93p).

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Murgers 2015 is offering even more sweet and hedonistic fruit than the Aux Thorey. It’s balanced, fresh and ripe .. but is not quite matching the cooler fruit found in Aux Thorey. The bouquet is offering generous red fruit – ripe and rich, and this is matched on the palate by a lush and rich mid-palate fruit. A hedonistic pleasure .. but is lacking some definition compared to the Aux Thorey. Fine+ – (92 – 93p) – So while I normally prefer the Aux Murgers – I give the upper hand to Aux Thorey this year.

The Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots 2015 is a very refined effort. The bouquet is offering refined red and dark fruit brought forward by a both delicate and filigree minerality. On the palate rich and silky fruit – airy and effortless – offering so much refinement and pleasure The wines are now almost 20 years – and the depth of the fruit is starting to increase. A Very Fine (93 – 94p) Aux Reignots – what a delightful wine.

The Domaine Cathiard Vosne-Romanée En Orveaux 2015 is in my view one of the stars of the vintage at Domaine Cathiard. Located in the Combe d’Orveaux it has benefited from the breeze from the Combe – and hence it offers a tremendous freshness and energy. The bouquet is brimming with red and dark fruits – loads of pomegranate and red currant – spiced with a lovely minerality. On the palate tremendous depth and length – 70 years old vines – offering a truly magnificent hedonistic experience. It’s so vibrant and energetic .. I adore this wine Very Fine+ – (93 – 95p).

Next wine is another of the highlights – the Vosne-Romanee les Suchots 2015. Suchots is also one of the areas that has produced some amazingly good wines in 2015. Les Suchots have also benefited from the cool breeze from Combe Brûlées, and from a rich soil that has provided water during the summer when other vineyards were stressed from drought. This is from a plot located in the bottom of the vineyard – but on a small ridge towards Echezeaux Clos St. Denis. This has produced a magnificently fresh Les Suchots – offering vibrant red fruit to bring energy to the rich and intense fruit. The palate silky but cool sorbet fruit – very balance and intense – by some margin the best Les Suchots I have tasted from Cathiard… Very Fine++ – (94 – 95p)

To the more backward Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanee Aux Malconsorts 2015. The malolactic fermentation has taken a long time with the Malconsort 2015 .. a few casks were not through the malo in the beginning of November .. hence the Malconsort is a bit backward at this stage. The bouquet is slightly reduced showing only glimpse of the vibrant complexity. On the palate its a step up from Les Suchots as it offers more power and depth. It´s a big Malconsort offering a tremendous expression of the Vosne appellation … with violets and peony rose in the bouquet – and a silky intensity on the palate. Outstanding – (95 – 96p)

The Domaine Cathiard, Romanee Saint-Vivant 2015 is a hedonistic masterpiece .. my words does not do this wine justice. The bouquet is brimming with rich, juicy fruit – Vosne spices .. tremendous depth and complexity – although its only showing a fraction of its potential. On the palate rich, velvet and airy with a effortless delivery of extraordinary depth and intensity. This is a truly extraordinary wine – and could well be one of the legendary wines produced in the 2015 vintage .. a brilliant effort .. what can I say –Extraordinary+ – (97 – 98p) – they don’t come much better than this.

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