2017 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru "Les Murgers"

Aromas of raspberries, spices, dark chocolate, plums and sweet soil tones introduce the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers, a medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional wine, with excellent concentration, abundant but velvety structuring tannins and lovely mid-palate amplitude. Nuits' proclivity to rusticity is rendered with Vosne elegance. 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)

Reduction. The very supple and relatively refined lighter weight flavors are not especially dense but there is excellent depth and persistence on the moderately austere finale. Despite the fact that this is not as concentrated as it usually is, the balance is excellent and this should have no trouble rewarding a decade or more of cellaring.