Domaine Cathiard

This domaine has come an awful long way since its early beginnings with Alfred Cathiard at the helm back in the thirties, when it had just a handful of vines which fruit Alfred used to sell off to négociants. His son, André, took over in the 1960s and began bottling some of his own wines for the first time. Gaining confidence and ambition, he acquired vineyards in both Malconsorts and Romanée Saint Vivant, two plots that, subsequently, have become synonymous with the domaine. In 1995 André retired leaving his son, Sylvain, to evolve things still further, which he did quite significantly over the next decade or so, establishing the domaine as one of the most sought-after in the Côte de Nuits.

In 2006, his son Sébastien began working at the domaine and took full control just a few years later. Recently, he has been busy constructing a very smart new cuverie and cellar as well as buying various new parcels in order to help him fill them! Today, the domaine totals twelve hectares, eight of which are both regional wines and wines from the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, and four of which are from some of the finest plots in the Côte de Nuits. All the wines are fully destemmed, Sébastien being anxious to maximise the terroir nuances of the individual vineyards.

Since his time in charge, he has reduced the percentages of new oak significantly for the same reason: he works hard in the vineyard and does not want a house style to override the subtleties of the different parcels. Whilst there is a luxurious plushness to the wines, they always retain real authenticity and a sense of place.