For a number of years now, the Cathiard property has been something of a perpetual building site. The work is essentially now complete such that, above and below ground, there is more than enough space for Sebastien Cathiard to work with the same obsessive attention to detail on his growing range of Hautes-Côtes de Nuits wines as on the domaine’s well-established range of Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-St Georges Premiers Crus that have cult-like status across the board.
The fine range of Hautes-Côtes de Nuits reds capitalises on the beneficial impact of climate change on this particular region of the Côte d’Or and allows a greater number of wine-lovers the opportunity to enjoy the style and quality that are synonymous with Domaine Cathiard but at a much more affordable price level.
This reputation of Domaine Cathiard has been hard-earned, with Sebastien building on the work done by his father, Sylvain. From the beginning of his tenure, Sylvain crafted wines of beautiful depth and texture which garnered an avid following. Sebastien has built on this base, bringing even greater clarity, precision and finesse to the wines. The high regard in which these wines are held is a fair reflection of the consistently outstanding quality we have come to expect of this brilliant Vosne-Romanée-based producer.
In 2022 Sebastien truly captured the best of the vintage in wines that show pure fruit with an appealingly more-ish quality – vibrant, flowing, mouth-watering. There is ample structure to the 2022s but it is integrated into wines of silken textures and subtle, mineral persistence.
Please see below for my notes on the 2022s from November's visit.
Domaine Cathiard, Coteaux Bourguignons, Les Croix Blanches 2022
£180 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
A single parcel of 0.1 hectares of forty-year-old vines, co-planted Gamay (40%) and Pinot Noir (60%) harvested together and co-fermented. The nose shows a fresh fruit lift while on the palate there is a beautiful clarity of crunchy red fruit with good balance and a gentle grip on the finish. Drink 2025-2030 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Bourgogne Rouge 2022
£240 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Soft skinned, ripe red fruit on nose and palate. Gently textured, flowing nature to the palate with fine balance and length of pure fruit. Drink 2025-2030 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge 2022
£255 per 6 bottle case in bond
The second vintage of Sebastien’s ‘village’ Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, which comes from a number of parcels in Villers-la-Faye, in the southern part of the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, above Prémeaux-Prissey. Two-thirds of the vines were planted over 50 years ago, the balance in 2000. Good fruit intensity and weight on the mid-palate with an appealingly textured quality. A step up from the first vintage but with a similar caressing fluidity to the palate, red fruit concentration and breadth with fine freshness and balance. Drink 2025-2032 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Aux Chaumes 2022
£270 per 6 bottle case in bond
The Chaumes vineyard is next to Les Dames Huguette but above it and on the plateau though both share poor soils on free-draining limestone. There is a scented, gently macerated, blue fruit quality on the nose. This carries through onto the palate, which is fresh and flowing, with a gentle grip towards the finish. Subtle, white stone mineral length. Lovely balance and harmony. Drink 2025-2032 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Les Dames Huguette 2022
£280 per 6 bottle case in bond
The Les Dames Huguette vines were planted between 1970 and 1995 with the vineyard on the slope of the Hautes-Côtes on thin soils with a high limestone content. This is reflected in the more linear, more tensile mineral nature. Really focused and pure on the nose, evidently more mineral, showing a lifted white stone quality. The fruit is healthily ripe and vibrant yet with a powerful core. A very fine Hautes-Côtes de Nuits with a finish of great persistence and mineral energy. Drink 2026-2034 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Gevrey-Chambertin 2022
£450 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
From 40-year-old vines on clay-based soils lower down the slope. Vibrant pure red and forest fruits on nose. The palate shows beautiful balance and focus, with this vintage of Sebastien’s Gevrey being all about purity, poise and restraint. The tannins are fine and give structure and a further sense of direction. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 2022
£510 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
There is a richness and a creamy quality immediately on the nose which is hugely appealing. On the palate, the fruit shows such a silky quality, as is so typical of the Cathiard style. Fine, stony tannins give structure on a finish that is marked by freshness and minerality. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Chambolle-Musigny, Clos de l'Orme 2022
£540 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Restrained red cherry fruit with a floral touch. The palate shows elegant, pure red fruit with a graceful, flowing texture. A very fine, white stone, mineral grip subtly asserts itself at the end. Drink 2026-2032 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Aux Thorey 2022
£970 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Good concentration of scented red fruit on the nose. The palate shows a deep fruit core with darker cherry and raspberry notes. Long, juicily fresh, mouthwatering, and minerally tensile. This is very refined and taut with mineral energy. Drink 2027-2037 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Aux Murgers 2022
£1,050 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
As always, Cathiard’s Murgers shows more density than the more linear Thorey. There is a sense of thicker fruit skins and a more palate-coating breadth. Nevertheless the finish shows a remarkably powerful mineral drive which carries the healthy fruit on a long finish. Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Aux Reignots 2022
£1,950 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Elegant fruit and floral notes. Typically ethereal. Very fine and long with mineral precision. Drink 2029-2040 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, En Orveaux 2022
£1,950 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Really beautiful, textured fruit. Deep, concentrated, pure. Fresh and vibrant. Mouth-filling and mouthwatering. Finishing with a juicy, saline length. Drink 2029-2040 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Les Suchots 2022
£2,250 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Broad and velvet textured. The weight of fruit masks the mineral aspect but the tannins are present and very fine. This is long with a deep fruit core from behind which a profound minerality emerges at the very end bringing a sense of grace and energy. Drink 2029-2040 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Aux Malconsorts 2022
£2,850 per 6 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
Aromatically open and deep with quality and complexity clear. On the palate this is textured and powerful yet so controlled too, with a sense of balance and vibrancy. As is so typical of Malconsorts, there is a real energy and presence on the long finish. Drink 2029-2040 (ROM)
Domaine Cathiard, Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2022
£3,600 per 3 bottle case in bond (very limited quantity and subject to availability)
The Grand Cru credentials and immediately evident in the intense fruit that shows a cool sense of ripeness. So pure and controlled with incredible finesse on the long, long finish. Drink 2030-2040 (ROM)
Please let us know of your interest but also be aware that orders may be subject to allocation.