The harvest began here on 5th October, with acceptable yields in the Côte de Nuits. Mathieu and his father opted for a shorter vinification time this year, with minimal punching down. They do feel though that the wines can support a little more new wood.

The harvest began here on 5th October, with acceptable yields in the Côte de Nuits. Mathieu and his father opted for a shorter vinification time this year, with minimal punching down. They do feel though that the wines can support a little more new wood.

The harvest began here on 5th October, with acceptable yields in the Côte de Nuits. Mathieu and his father opted for a shorter vinification time this year, with minimal punching down. They do feel though that the wines can support a little more new wood.

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Sylvain considers 2013 to be a very classic Burgundy vintage, with good acidity similar to 2010. This delivers very good terroir definition and the classification levels are well marked out. Pure and precise wines, but unfortunately volumes are a further 20% below 2012 because of bad flowering and the need to sort the grapes. Contrary to many Sébastien favoured a bit more extraction, with longer maceration both before and after fermentation, and a bit more punching down during. Very interesting results as you will see. He has also cut back on the new oak.

2010 is the first vintage to be made in the new cuvrie at this domaine, but it will be the last that is vinified by Sylvain Cathiard himself, he is handing over responsibility to his son Sbastien in 2011. The harvest began on 25th September with volumes just a little down compared to previous years, but as ever, Sylvain and his son have produced a most seductive range of wines.

2010 is the first vintage to be made in the new cuvrie at this domaine, but it will be the last that is vinified by Sylvain Cathiard himself, he is handing over responsibility to his son Sbastien in 2011. The harvest began on 25th September with volumes just a little down compared to previous years, but as ever, Sylvain and his son have produced a most seductive range of wines.

With Nicole Lamarche firmly in charge, the domaine has converted to organic farming, and the recipe in the cellar this year was for a long vinification but less extraction. The wines have spent twelve months in barrel (with 30% new wood for the village wine and up to 60% for Grand Crus) before being transferred to vat. Sadly, many of the Vosne-Romanée vines here did not make it through the winter, so there is no village wine this year for us in 2010. Otherwise, expect attractive wines in 2010 with excellent typicity.

This has been one of the most exciting cellars in the whole of Burgundy for the last few vintages, a fact which is beginning to be reflected in the pricing. The significant reduction in crop this year, which Etienne Grivot ascribes more to the extreme winter cold than poor flowering, is also a factor. Etienne has been working hard to refine the tannins in his wines, and has surely succeeded in 2010, by producing wines of great energy but with suave, sophisticated finishes. These are brilliant wines that unfortunately, are in short supply.