2017 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Nuits-St.-Georges 1er Cru "Aux Thorey"

The 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey offers up a lovely bouquet of cassis, blackberries, warm spices, licorice and peony. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with superb concentration and an earthier, chewier profile than the Murgers this year—despite the finesse of its tannins. Sébastien Cathiard has produced some of the wines of the 2017 vintage, a stunning portfolio that vindicates his decision to harvest late this year. The rudiments of the approach are simple: meticulous viticulture—though not, I should add, especially low yields—and careful sorting, followed by complete destemming, macerations of 20-30 days and maturation in barrel from some 15-18 months. The impact of new oak, once a defining feature of the Cathiard style, is now significantly less obtrusive, a thoroughly positive evolution that's been in evidence over the last few vintages and which seems to have been consummated with a beautifully integrated range of 2017s. Unfortunately, the market has already taken notice, and these wines are scarce and expensive. What's more, the quality Cathiard has achieved with this vintage will only add fuel to the fire. (WK)