Sylvain Cathiard’s grandfather, a foundling from Savoie, came to Burgundy and found work with Domaine de la Romanée Conti (DRC) and Lamarche, subsequently buying a few parcels of vineyards for himself. His son André Cathiard began to bottle some of the crop.
In due course Sylvain began work with his father but then separated to start his own small domaine, until on his father’s retirement in 1995, Sylvain could take back the family vineyards on a renting agreement. He has now been joined by his son Sébastien.
The Cathiards have 5.5 hectares of vineyards in Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges and Chambolle-Musigny, including tiny holdings in Clos de Vougeot and Romanée-St-Vivant. A recent addition (from 2006) to the range is the Nuits-St-Georges Aux Thorey.
93-95 Points Allen Meadows
A cool, pure, airy and restrained nose combines a really lovely spiciness with notes of black raspberry, wild strawberry and exotic Asian tea. The super-sleek and utterly delicious middle weight flavors offer excellent power and drive while displaying outstanding length on the intensely saline-inflected and youthfully austere finish. This is not a monster of concentration but I really like the balance.
94-96 Points Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
The most reserved premier cru in the cellar is, as usual, the 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts. Opening in the glass with scents of dark berry fruit, plums, exotic spices, dark chocolate, smoked meats and burning embers, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and muscular, displaying exquisite structural refinement and superb concentration, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. There are 16 barrels this year.
96-98 Points Vinous
The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru has the most cerebral nose of any Cathiard Premier Cru, scents of black fruit intermingling with ash, sous-bois and light iodine scents. It also seems the most mercurial in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannins, unerring symmetry and a killer sense of symmetry that is utterly beguiling. It is endowed with the backbone one expects from a Malconsorts and a persistence all of its own. Heavenly.