En Orveaux

Brilliant pure purple, this is a dramatic, singing wine, with real lift and exuberance up front which then continues across the palate. Having intensity without undue weight, this has a beautiful aromatic profile of dark red fruits, and a lovely finish. Very impressive.

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.

Mature vines from the mid 1950s are used here and have created a fine, glowing purple wine with lovely, juicy energy and a little whiff of oak among the fruit and violets. There is good weight to the fruit, with floral notes continuing all the way through to the back of the palate. Decidedly elegant, this is serious, powerful wine.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

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.

A vibrant colour that’s full of energy, this wine is really something out of the ordinary. It offers a sumptuously rich and ripe fruity nose and a plump, fleshy wealth of fruit on the palate.

Medium-deep in colour with a discreetly perfumed bouquet, this starts quietly in the mouth but ah!, what joy follows. There is a marvellous burst of fine silky fruit on the palate. This is a truly wonderful wine which will drink from 2010 to 2014.

This wine was the first to complete its malolactic fermentation, so was much more in place than the others, showing the hallmark seductive, Cathiard perfume. Mid-purple, with a fabulously stylish bouquet, this has huge energy. Fresh and delicious, it’s very nuanced. Drink 2022-2032.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Sébastien Cathiard completed his harvest in just three days, beginning on 12th September. He already had good sugar and low-ish acids a week earlier, but not the desired phenolic maturity. He took the decision to run with the vintage and so extracted as much as in other years, in fact punching down more in 2015 than 2014. He also made sure that the malolactic fermentation happened relatively late, so these are backward wines which will require quite a lot more élevage. But they are unquestionably brilliant wines. Sébastien has used less new oak than in the past and with a lighter toast to the barrels.