Vosne Romanée Malconsorts, Domaine Sylvain Cathiard 2014

The 2014 Vosne Romanée 1Er Cru les Malconsorts has a very cerebral bouquet, beautifully defined and the fruit here is very enmeshed with the oak. There is something more tertiary -- wild woodland, wild mushroom even tincturing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, not as powerful as Cathiard's other 2014 Premier Crus, but with the finest precision on the finish. Its persistence is awe-inspiring.

**Note: from a .74 ha parcel of 35+ year old vines**
Reduction dominates the nose though there is first-rate vibrancy to the big, intense, powerful and muscular flavors that are almost pungently mineral. As is usually the case with this wine chez Cathiard it is robust and exceptionally firm yet there is nothing aggressive about the structure on the ripe finale, indeed this is notably less youthfully austere than usual. As the description would suggest however it is pointless to open one of these beauties before it has at least 10 years of age. In a word, brilliant.