Marsannay Chapitre 2023 Domaine Sylvain Pataille

The Marsannay Le Chapitre 2023 from Domaine Sylvain Pataille embodies all the nobility of this Côte de Nuits appellation and stands among the most intense and refined wines from the domaine. Le Chapitre is a legendary terroir, once classified as Nuits-Saint-Georges, situated on pure limestone soils with naturally low yields. A true jewel of Marsannay's viticultural heritage, this terroir produces elegant and complex Pinot Noirs. The 2023 vintage, with its fine maturity, allowed Sylvain Pataille to craft a wine that is at once concentrated, ethereal, and remarkably harmonious.

The terroir and vineyards

The climat Le Chapitre sits at the northern edge of Chenôve village, at the gates of the Dijon conurbation, on land historically connected to ecclesiastical holdings, hence its name. For Sylvain Pataille, it is sacred ground where geology and history meet. Facing east, these old vines flourish on a slope with exceptionally draining soil composed of light sandstone limestone and layered limestone fragments, resting on a bedrock of pure limestone. This exposure and exceptional drainage give the Pinot Noir a tension, minerality, and aromatic depth that reveal the full potential of this variety on Burgundy's calcareous, marly, and clayey soils. Sylvain Pataille practises rigorous organic and biodynamic viticulture here, with minimal intervention and absolute respect for the ecosystem. Harvesting is by hand with careful bunch selection. Vinification is conducted with whole bunches, no added sulphur, spontaneous fermentation and gentle extraction, followed by 18 months ageing in large wooden vats and small casks.

Tasting profile

The colour is a luminous and deep ruby, remarkable for its clarity and intensity. The nose reveals a noble and concentrated expression of Burgundy Pinot Noir, with an elegant bouquet of red cherry, rose petal, and hibiscus, supported by delicate floral accents and light graphite mineral notes. With aeration, the wine gains depth with hints of peppery spice, leather, and particularly seductive balsamic notes, where blood fruit and tertiary complexity add remarkable dimension. On the palate, the texture is silken, tightened by brilliant acidity and very fine, almost powdery tannins. Vinified with whole bunches and no added sulphur, it expresses all the energy and precision of Pataille's style: a vibrant, luminous, and profoundly authentic Pinot Noir. The finish is long, harmonious, and fresh, with remarkable persistence on the palate.

The domaine

Born in Marsannay-la-Côte to a non-winemaking family, Sylvain Pataille studied oenology in Bordeaux before returning to passionately champion the terroirs of the Côte de Nuits. He founded his domaine in 1999 with a single rented hectare and patiently built a 17-hectare vineyard certified organic since 2008 and farmed biodynamically. Sylvain Pataille has become one of the most ardent defenders of Marsannay and Chenôve terroirs, including the little-known Clos du Chapitre. Exacting, the winemaker works his vines with a horse, intervenes as little as possible, retains a proportion of whole-bunch fruit, and commits to lengthy ageing of his wines, sometimes over two years, with virtually no sulphur.

Food pairings

This Marsannay Le Chapitre pairs beautifully with roasted lamb with Provençal herbs, duck breast with red berries, game stew in sauce, dishes with black truffle, veal chop in wild mushroom crust, or aged cheese such as Époisses or Comté. Served at 15 to 16 °C with an hour of decanting recommended, it will reveal all the mineral tension, historical depth, and absolute nobility of a terroir-driven Marsannay, signed by one of the most precise and engaging winemakers of the Côte de Nuits.