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94-96 NM.
"The 2014 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru les Suchots has the most Pinoté on the nose of Cathiard's Premier Crus -- wonderful, effervescent red berry fruit, orange peel, blood orange and limestone scents, all detailed and intense. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, with just a touch of toastiness deriving from the new oak, but this has real finesse and tenderness on the finish that is suffused with blood orange and a touch of spice. This is regal. It is always a pleasure to see Sebastien Cathiard, although the temperature seemed to be preset at "Arctic" when I visited on a bitter November afternoon. That might explain why some of this Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts only finished their malolactic fermentation four days prior to my visit. He's a thoughtful winemaker, more reticent as we tasted through the wines than some of his neighbors; though I do appreciate that he is gradually changing the style of the wines, in particular toning down the new oak that some had criticized as being too high (something that I can understand). The new oak is still relatively high compared to others, though not to the same degree: 50% for the Village Crus and 66% for the Premier Crus, moreover with a lighter toasting than before. He told me that he liked the acidity levels in the 2014, the pH coming in between 3.36 and 3.46 after the wines were picked between September 17 and 20. He also expressed the importance of the second winter in barrel, so these will be bottled spring 2016. These 2014s stay loyal to Cathiard's style: still more fruit-driven and opulent than say, Mugneret-Gibourg or Lamarche, more in common with Maxime Chuerlin's wines next door at Domaine Georges Noëllat. Though I am a sucker for Cathiard's Nuits Saint Georges, the headliners cluster in Vosne. The Vosne-Romanée En Orveau is one of the best that I have ever tasted from barrel and the Les Suchots is almost pornographic in its sexiness. But it is that dallying Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts that shone, thanks to its precision and structure, a truly great wine of the vintage. Readers will already be aware that I am a long-time fan of this estate, both the wines produced by Sylvain and his son, yet there is also a part of me that thinks of five or ten years’ time, the wines could be even better. The mind boggles at the mere thought of what is possible." Neal Martin, Wine Advocate #222, Dec 2015 |