Domaine Sylvain Cathiard comprises 12.5 hectares of vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, principally in Vosne-Romanée , but also in Nuits-St-Georges and Chambolle-Musigny. The Domaine was founded by Sylvain’s grandfather in the 1930’s and taken over by his father in 1969. Sylvain himself, a graduate of the École Viticole in Beaune, began working with his father, André, in the 1980’s and gradually assumed control in the 1990’s. Sylvain raised the quality level of the Domaine to the topmost echelon of Burgundy. Sylvain has now been succeeded by his son Sébastien, who has, many say, manages to raise the bar another notch or two.
The Domaine practices organic farming. Cathiard completely de-stems the fruit and employs cold maceration for 8-10 days, depending on the vintage. Fermentation occurs over indigenous yeasts for 16-22 days and reaches a fairly high 31°-32° C. The frequency of pigéage and length of cuvaison is adapted to the vintage. The young wine is then racked into Allier barrels (30-40% new oak for village-level, and 60-70% for the Premier Cru) and aged 18-20 months. After assemblage, the wines are bottled without fining and only minimal filtration.
The wines of Sylvain Cathiard are reference-standards. The subtle differences among the crus are readily apparent, and illustrate both the authority and the magic of terroir. Cathiard wines are lush and opulent, to be certain, and without the slightest hint of forced extraction or excess sweetness; and they are harmonious and balanced and delicate. But the overriding impression that Cathiard wines give is one of absolute precision: striking each prescribed note perfectly in pitch and tone, without ever a hint of excess or discordance.
