2022 Domain Sylvain Cathiard & Fils Bourgogne Aligoté

Domaine Sylvain Cathiard is one of Burgundy's most revered and highly sought-after producers, renowned for crafting Pinot Noir wines of exceptional purity, elegance, and intensity. Based in the heart of Vosne-Romanée, the family-owned estate was established in the 1930s by Sylvain's grandfather, who worked at prestigious domaines like Romanée-Conti and Lamarche. Sylvain took over in 1985 and, since 2011, his son Sébastien has run the 5-hectare domaine, further elevating its reputation and refining the winemaking style. 

Sébastien's philosophy is rooted in a deep respect for the land, employing organic and sustainable practices in the vineyards, though without official certification. In the winery, he adopts a "hands-off," minimal intervention approach, which includes 100% de-stemming of the fruit, a cold maceration period, and fermentation using indigenous yeasts. The wines are aged for 15 to 18 months in French oak barrels (from coopers like Remond and Francois Freres), with the proportion of new oak carefully judged based on the appellation—typically around 30-40% for village wines, 50-75% for Premier Crus, and a higher percentage for the rare Grand Cru. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration to preserve their natural expression. The resulting style is characterized by silky textures, vibrant red fruit, a fine mineral backbone, and remarkable focus, making them expressive in youth but also capable of glorious evolution with age.