MCF Rare Wine
Pataille, Master of Marsannay
There are so many legendary producers in Burgundy, everyone has their favorites, and everyone's Top 10 list probably has a lot of overlap...
However, if you were to require all these everyones to include on their list one producer who they deemed an Insider's wine - someone beloved by the hardcore fans, but that's still relatively underappreciated by people as a whole - I bet a lot of said hardcores (and nearly all of the industry people), would include Sylvain Pataille.
As I type that, I realize that many people are probably reading that and thinking 'yeah, no duh' to themselves, as Pataille seems to receive new fans and accolades every year - so much so that his top wines are now allocated - but, still...I think the number of people who appreciate his wines is still way too low, given their brilliance.
The last few releases from Pataille have been cut short by the frost/hail problems that plagued Burgundy, but, in 2022, availability of these wines is back to 'normal' levels...
So, for the first time in a while, we have some nice quantity to offer here, including the Chardonnay Rose, one of Burgundy's most unique wines.
Pataille is many things - a visionary farmer, a brilliant winemaker, a genuine guy...
...and he also looks like the picture that would come up if you asked ChatGPT to create you a picture of a 'Genius Biodynamic Burgundian Winemaker'...
...which is its own kind of awesome...
SYLVAIN PATAILLE 2022
Bourgogne Aligoté - I mentioned above that Pataille is a visionary, and you need no further evidence of that than the fact that he's been on the Aligoté train for a while, and is one of its true masters. Edgy, high-toned, citric and intensely mineral, this is Aligoté at its best, and is one of our favorite wines he makes.
Marsannay Blanc Chardonnay Rose - like I (also) said above, this is one of Burgundy's most unique (and delicious) wines, that's made from a mutated strain of Chardonnay (Chardonnay Rose) that Pataille discovered amongst his regular vines back in 2002. At first, his Marsannay blanc was all Chard Rose, and then he began to blend in regular Chardonnay from other plots. However, after propagating more of it, he now makes this 100% Rose cuvée, which is another favorite of ours. Picture a classic, structured, linear, citric and mineral white burg, but with this mysterious berry-fruited nuance to it, and some extra-lovely texture, as well. Fabulous stuff.
Marsannay Rouges En Clemengeots - the red clay-dense, gently sloping soils of En Clemengeots endow this beauty with a quite a jovial personality, one that sometimes manages to obscure the sternness that lurks beneath. Its dark Pinot fruit is packed with mineral/briny punch and, in 2022, it's a got a nice surly edge to it...and I mean that in the best way...
Marsannay Rouges Clos du Roy - the Roy is, as usual, a brighter, fresher and more lifted expression of Marsannay. Highly aromatic, precise, mineral driven and brightly berry fruited, it's pure joy in a glass.
Marsannay Rouges Grasses Têtes - the Têtes is the densest and most tightly wound wine on offer today, but it's one that's going to open up beautifully, as that grumpy disposition eases with time. Even though it's currently the least friendly of the bunch, with its blend of power and focus, it very well could be the best one, when all is said and done.
You may order by calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere? Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!
