Sébastien Cathiard said that 2017 was a much easier vintage for him than 2016. He began harvesting late, on 13 September, and finished on the 15th. The grapes were healthy and ripe, and he lacks only three barrels from a full cellar. The malic acidities here were low, with pH’s ranging from 3.46 to 3.58 and total acidities from 4.50 to 4.90.
There was a little chaptalization here, between 0.5 and 1.0º, basically to extend fermentations, and alcohols are around 12.5 to 13.0º.
Malo-lactic fermentations were slow, finishing between April and August. No whole clusters went into this vintage.
As I’ve earlier already mentioned, Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny are the centers of the highest concentration of quality in the vintage, with the Vosne slope of Nuits-Saint-Georges not far behind. Cathiard’s brilliant 2017s stand as Exhibit A to that assertion.
2017 Coteaux Bourguignons
This wine is from 38 year-old vines below the railway line and near the Nuits-Vosne border. It is about 40% Pinot Noir and 60% Gamay. The nose is spicy and peppery, and the mouth shows peppery dark fruit that is delightfully fresh and pure. (86-89)
2017 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Bourgogne in 2017 can provide great pleasure from the right sources, and Cathiard is one of them. This wine is fresh and silky with pure dark fruits. There is no new oak on this wine, only two year-old casks. About 1/3 of the vines are 50 years-old, the remainder are about 30 years-old; the vines are located below the route nationale between Vosne-Romanée and Vougeot. (89-91)
2017 Vosne-Romanée
The village Vosne has intense dark fruits, including black raspberries, and good intensity, energy, and purity. There’s excellent concentration to this wine, good finesse, and it can easily take some aging. Here, the vines average about 50 years in age and they are located in five parcels in four lieux-dits: Champs Goudins, La Pré de la Folie, Les Chalandins, and Aux Ormes. 50% new oak on this wine. (90-93)
2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges
This wine comes from a single parcel of 80 year-old vines in the Aux Athées lieu-dit. The wine is rounder and fuller than the Vosne but seemingly with more moderate acidity. It shows raspberries and some dark fruits, with good length. The difference between this wine, representing Nuits, and the previous one as Vosne, is classic. (90-93)
2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Clos de l’Orme
This village Chambolle is pure, intense, medium-full, long, and precise with violets to go with the fruit. 50% new oak her, 48 hl/ha, but no dilution. (91-93)
2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey
There’s admirable structure for the vintage here with black raspberry fruit, depth, purity, and length. 50% new oak. (92-95)
2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers
Cathiard’s Nuits-Murgers has an explosive nose of floral and black fruits. The mouth is dense, pure, and deep with intense dark fruits, and the wine is rich and balanced. This is from the Vosne slope of Nuits-Saint-Georges and the wine can easily pass as from Vosne. Sébastien says that half the vines are 55 years-old, the other half are 75 years-old; he never has to do a green harvest and the wine always has very good concentration, due to the quality of the vines. 60% new oak here. (93-95)
2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Raignots
The Raignots displays concentration but also finesse and lightness with long, dark fruits. There’s some spice here, and also a touch of sap to the texture. The vineyard was replanted in 1997 using three different clones, and so the vines are now reaching a first stage of maturity. 60% new oak here. (92-94)
2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru En Orveaux
From 70 year-old vines, the En Orveaux is light on the palate, but concentrated with dark fruits that are long and pure. The wine has old-vine smoothness of texture, but also a bit of cut from the acidity. (93-95)
2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
Cathiard’s Suchots has spicy red and dark fruits with good length and medium weight, as well as density and purity. But this wine is less advanced than the others. From vines that are 45-50 years-old, just under 60% new oak. (92-95)
2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
The Malconsorts is going to need plenty of time to come around, but it has the potential to be a great wine. The nose features lead pencil aromas. The mouth displays intense dark fruits, power, a tannic structure, depth and great penetration. (94-97)
2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Last, the Romanée-Saint-Vivant, of which there are three barrels (about 750 bottles), two of which are new. The nose is deep with penetrating dark fruits that are still unformed. The mouth is deep with intense, very concentrated and penetrating dark fruits and outstanding length. There’s greatness here, but expect to wait 20 years, at least, to full maturity. (96-99)