2012 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru

A touch of evolution to the colour, then a terrific burst of fruit with a menthol touch. This was Sébastien Cathiard’s second vintage and reflects a huge change in style from his father’s wines: this is more complex, less immediately seductive, though the oak still shows a little. Star rating ****

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from winemaker Sebastian Cathiard was showing some reduction like de Montille's Malconsorts: rather animally on the nose with a touch of rubber, missing the delineation it might have otherwise possessed. Returning after ten minutes, that feral aspect ebbs away. The palate is medium-bodied with supple and sweet tannin. It shakes off that reduction to reveal a nicely defined, quite voluminous finish that is bursting with red fruit. If it does pull through it will deserve a very good mark and I suspect it will do just that.