Aux Malconsorts
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Sébastien Cathiard began his second vintage in charge on 22nd September. He has made approximately the same volume of wine in 2012 as 2011, except in the Nuits-St Georges vineyards, but, alas, 2013 will be even less. There are no significant changes to his father’s style, except some progress towards organic viticulture. Sébastien currently uses 2/3 new wood for village wines and 100% for most Premiers Crus. The grapes are entirely de-stemmed before vinification. Note how many cuvées have the benefit of old vines. but fabulous quality.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director
2010 is the first vintage to be made in the new cuvérie at this domaine, but it will be the last that is vinified by Sylvain Cathiard himself, he is handing over responsibility to his son Sébastien 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.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director
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.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director
Domaine de Montille picked between the 18th and 26th September in 2010. The red wines, made by American Brian Sieve (one of two winemakers in this catalogue born in Indianapolis!) under the surveillance of Etienne de Montille, now show a consistency of style and quality that perhaps was not entirely there a few years ago. The whites are the responsibility of Etiennes sister Alix and maintain the class of recent times. Together they have produced a fine result in 2010.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
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.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director The bad news at Domaine Lamarche is that the 2011 crop is actually less than 2010. We have done our best to keep prices stable, though the price of La Grande Rue has deservedly increased this year. Everything else is good news; Nicole Lamarche, assisted by her cousin Nathalie, is steadily growing in assurance, delivering an excellent set of wines this year. She continues to reduce the amount of new wood used while the vineyards, which are now farmed organically, are getting the care and attention that they need. The future is in good hands.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director 2011 is the first vintage made by Sébastien Cathiard, son of Sylvain. There are no plans to change the successful style of Cathiard père, but there are bound to be differences in nuance with a different hand on the tiller. The wines once again have the magical perfumed Cathiard imprimatur but is there possibly a greater sense of precision in the definition of each vineyard site. Sadly the 2011 crop is a touch smaller even than 2010.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
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.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
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.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate, 30th December 2014
In the vineyard Sébastien has been moving towards an organic approach. In the cellar, while vinification remains broadly similar, much less new wood is being used during élévage: the village cuvées have been reduced to 50 percent and the crus to two thirds, with a slightly lighter toast being employed in the barrels. All the wines are so much more elegant with less new wood. The 2014 vintage is lovely here.