2014 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru

Sebastian Cathiard, who took over winemaking from his father Sylvain in 2011, began working organically in 2014 and has also reduced his percentage of new oak to 50% for his premier crus and two-thirds for the top wines (his father previously vinified his crus in 100% new oak, and the wines often took many years to absorb their lumber). Cathiard began harvesting in 2014 on September 17, with potential alcohol levels ranging from 11. 8% to 13. 1%, and chaptalized his wines between 0. 3% and 1%. He carries out a pre-fermentation cold soak lasting between 10 and 12 days (at 50 degrees F), then does more “maceration” than pigeage during the early days of the fermentation. He also does a week of post-fermentation maceration--for a total cuvaison time of 24 to 27 days in 2014.

Cathiard described his 2013s as fresher and more old-fashioned in their minerality, adding that their salinity encourages drinking. “The 2014s, in comparison, are fruitier and fleshier wines,” he added The wines finished their malolactic fermentations very late, between May and October, and although the wines had been sulfured a couple weeks before my December visit, none of them had yet been racked. He planned to rack them into tank in February and bottle in April.