Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru 'Aux Malconsorts'
Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru
2015
Vintage
Varietal
Pinot Noir
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2018-2039).
In 2026, the Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 2015 sits within the heart of its peak drinking window, which runs from 2018 through 2039. Eleven years of age have rewarded this wine exceptionally: the heady, lush raspberry aromatics of its youth have deepened and integrated with secondary development, the rich fleshy texture that defines Malconsorts has softened into seamless silk, and the fine tannic structure that distinguishes this site from neighboring Vosne village wines has fully resolved. In 2026, this is a wine offering full peak pleasure without compromise. The warmth of the 2015 vintage contributes an opulence that makes the wine generous and immediately expressive, while the site's natural density and grip ensure there is more than surface appeal. With 13 years remaining in the peak window through 2039, there is no urgency, but those who open a bottle in 2026 will find the Malconsorts at its most complete and communicative.
The ‘15 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru 'Aux Malconsorts'.
Cathiard's 2015 Aux Malconsorts is lush and heady at full peak in 2026, a coveted Vosne-Romanee premier cru adjacent to La Tache with 13 years of prime window remaining.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The 2015 Cathiard Aux Malconsorts announces itself with a heady, lush raspberry nose of unusual depth and allure, the kind of aromatic intensity that only the finest Vosne-Romanee premier cru sites deliver. The nose also carries hints of crushed violet, warm spice, and a faint earthy complexity signaling 11 years of cellar development. On the palate, the rich and fleshy texture is immediately evident: this is not a delicate, ethereal Vosne but one of concentration and presence. Malconsorts delivers the extra density and grip that distinguishes it from village-level Vosne-Romanee, and Cathiard's traditional winemaking lets that character speak without adornment. The tannins are fine but present, providing structure without astringency. The 2015 vintage's warmth is expressed through plush, generous fruit that fills the mid-palate completely. The finish is long and spiced, with a mineral depth that recalls the vineyard's proximity to La Tache and the concentration possible only from a truly exceptional premier cru site in Vosne-Romanee.
The 2015 vintage
The 2015 vintage in Burgundy's Cotes de Nuits was exceptional, widely recognized as one of the finest of the decade alongside 2010 and 2005. An unusually warm, dry summer delivered excellent physiological ripeness with generous fruit character across the appellation. Harvest arrived under warm, dry conditions in late September, allowing producers to pick at peak concentration without dilution from autumn rain. The resulting wines from Vosne-Romanee and the broader Cotes de Nuits tend toward opulence and richness while retaining enough structural acidity to age beautifully over decades. For Aux Malconsorts specifically, the 2015 warmth amplified the site's natural density and grip, producing a wine more immediately expressive than typical from this terroir while preserving the depth and structure that defines its reputation.
About Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
Domaine Sylvain Cathiard is one of Vosne-Romanee's most coveted small estates, producing highly allocated wines from premier and grand cru sites in the village. Sylvain Cathiard built the domaine into one of the appellation's finest references, and his son Antoine Cathiard has continued this trajectory with a traditional approach that includes whole-cluster fermentation, careful hand-sorting, and minimal intervention in the cellar. The domaine's holdings in Aux Malconsorts, adjacent to La Tache, represent the apex of their production: concentrated, structured, and age-worthy in ways that transcend the premier cru classification. Production is extremely limited and allocation is the primary path to access. The wines consistently rank among the most age-worthy premier crus in Vosne-Romanee.
From the cellar: pair with
Roasted duck breast with raspberry and thyme sauce
The wine's heady raspberry aromatics and rich, fleshy Vosne texture pair naturally with duck, while the raspberry reduction echoes the fruit concentration of the 2015 vintage without duplicating it.
Braised short rib with root vegetables
The extra density and grip that defines Malconsorts has the structural weight to match slow-braised beef richness, while the wine's fine tannins integrate cleanly with collagen-rich preparations.
Roasted beet and Epoisses tart
The wine's earthy secondary development and warm spice notes align with roasted beet's earthiness, while Epoisses washed-rind character echoes the savory sous-bois depth emerging in this 11-year-old Burgundy.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 60-64F (15-18C)
- Decanting
- Decant 45-60 minutes in 2026. At 11 years the 2015 Malconsorts is at full peak but opens meaningfully with aeration, allowing the heady raspberry and warm spice aromatics to fully express. Serve within 90 minutes of decanting to preserve freshness and aromatic lift.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Frequently Asked
When is the best time to drink the 2015 Cathiard Aux Malconsorts?
The 2015 Cathiard Aux Malconsorts is at peak in 2026 within its 2018 to 2039 drinking window, with 13 years of prime remaining. The 2015 vintage's opulence means the wine has been accessible since 2018 and now shows full peak complexity with no urgency. Those holding multiples who prefer a slightly more tertiary, evolved profile may find that the 2030 to 2035 range offers the next milestone of development as the primary raspberry recedes further.
How long should I decant the 2015 Cathiard Aux Malconsorts?
Decant for 45-60 minutes in 2026 to allow the heady raspberry and warm spice aromatics to open and the rich, fleshy texture to reveal itself fully. The 2015 is a generous vintage that opens quickly and does not require extended aeration. Serve within 90 minutes of decanting to preserve the freshness and aromatic lift that Cathiard's minimal-intervention winemaking consistently achieves in ripe years.
What food pairs with the 2015 Cathiard Aux Malconsorts?
The wine's lush heady raspberry richness and extra density from the Malconsorts site call for preparations of substance: roasted duck with fruit sauces, braised short rib, lamb with herbs, and game birds all work excellently. The 2015 vintage's opulence means the wine can handle richness without being overwhelmed, while its fine tannins provide structure. Epoisses or aged Comte cheese are also excellent, especially with the wine's warm spice and earthy secondary notes becoming more prominent in 2026.
What is special about the Aux Malconsorts vineyard?
Aux Malconsorts is one of Vosne-Romanee's most prestigious premier cru sites, located at the southern border of the village adjacent to La Tache, one of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti's monopole grand crus. The site's position, elevation, and soil composition deliver more density and grip than typical Vosne premier crus. Wines from producers like Cathiard frequently trade at near-grand cru prices and are considered by many to deserve reclassification from premier cru to grand cru status.
Where can I learn more about Vosne-Romanee premier crus?
The Burgundy regional guide at /wines/region/burgundy covers the full hierarchy of Vosne-Romanee's premier and grand cru sites and their relationship to neighboring appellations. The Pinot Noir varietal hub at /wines/varietal/pinot-noir also contextualizes how the grape expresses differently across Vosne, Gevrey, and Chambolle. In this collection, the Meo-Camuzet Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux 2022 and the Rousseau Chambertin 2018 offer elite comparison points from the same and neighboring appellations.