2001 Sylvain Cathiard Romanée St. Vivant

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 92 points

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  5/20/2015 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points

  2001 Vosne-Romanée Grand Cru Dinner (Imperial Treasure Teochew, Takashimaya): An impressive wine, but this stood out somewhat like a stylistic sore thumb amidst the two elegant beauties that shared its flight (a 2001 Arnoux RSV and the 2001 DRC RSV) The Cathiard was a rather gruffer, more robust expression of the terroir. It was actually a bit grumpy when first popped and poured, showing a deeper, tighter, more masculine nose than either of the other wines, with more earth and mineral and sous bois notes drifting amidst a core of rich, almost liquered dark cherry and blackberry aromas. Attractive in its own way, but lacking the floral and spice perfume of that so entranced me with the other wines. The palate came across thicker and more powerful than the others as well, almost bearing more of a resemblance to the Richebourgs in the earlier flights, with rather tight notes of sweet dark cherries and filling the mouth with a pure, intense, beam of flavor that then pulled away in robust, pungent, earthy finish. This impressed in its own fashion – I was quite struck by the marriage of power and purity here. It packed a real punch, and yet was clearly a wine of finesse. On its own, I would even have said that it had a rather nice elegance. However, for all its quality, it somehow always felt rather less refined and effortlessly graceful than either the Arnoux or the DRC. That aside though, this is a great wine. Give it 4-5 more years in the cellar though – it will reward the patience.

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  7/21/2014 - Pacalet wrote:

  Still a bruiser, opened at 5pm, decanted at 8 and started to drink at 9pm. Still mostly dark fruit, spicy and primary with smell of alcohol. Palate big but tight and tannic. Hard to rate at this point, will it ever evolve into a nice RSV? A big question mark.

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  8/2/2012 - Dbrane wrote: 90 Points

  Thin and acidic when first popped and poured. With air, the nose started to unravel showing loads of spicy fruits and lovely floral aromas. Intoxicating! I could smell this the whole day. On the palate this gained more weight with time though undoubtedly still a light bodied feminine wine with a long persistent finish. Very well balanced and primary and could do with many more years of aging. Calm and classy wine and entirely serious. Not a wow wine though and is more for quiet contemplation.

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  8/21/2011 - Pacalet wrote: 92 Points

  Dark ruby in color, 1st hour nose v tight with dark fruit, licorice, slight gaminess. 3 hours later, nose with mocha, meaty, dark red cherries, and floral character underneath. Very tight but with loads of extracts within. Will take 3 more perhaps 5+years to really open up.

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