1999 Sylvain Cathiard Vosne Romanee

Sylvain Cathiard is a 10-acre estate in Romanee-Saint-Vivant, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. Sylvain himself is a third-generation Burgundian winemaker who set up his own domaine nearly 20 years ago before returning to run the family’s domaine after his father’s retirement. He now works with his son Sebastian. Their flagship wines are Vosne-Romanee Premier Crus Les Malconsorts, En Orveau, Les Reignots and Les Suchots, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Crus Aux Thorey and Les Murgers. Cathiard and his wines are beloved by many wine writers, including Clive Coates, who says “there is a touch of genius here in the winemaking, resulting in bottles of exceptional purity and fragrance: Pinot Noir at its most elegant.”

Vosne-Romanée is the most prestigious appellation in Burgundy. Its 449 acres of vineyards are in and around the village of Vosne-Romanée and they include renowned Grand Cru vineyards which produce some of the world’s most coveted – and costly —wines. The Grands Crus are Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and La Tâche. The Grand Crus Échezeaux and Grands- Échezeaux are actually located in the neighboring village of Flagey-Échezeaux, but legally they can be sold under the Vosne-Romanée appellation. There are also seventeen Premier Crus in Vosne-Romanée. Wine writer Clive Coates has called Vosne-Romanée “the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth” and notes that the appellation’s style “is for wines which are rich, austere, sensual, masculine and aristocratic.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.