Marsannay Rouge Chapitre 2022 1.5L MAG 93JM/93VM
Sylvain Pataille

(90-92)VM
The 2022 Marsannay Rouge Le Chapitre, one of the only cuvées that had been racked, has a pure black cherry and boysenberry-scented bouquet that opens nicely in the glass. Fine delineation—one of the most powerful. The palate is well-defined with blackcurrant and bilberry fruit. A vertical Marsannay with a strict finish. It will need two or three years in bottle. - By Neal Martin on November 2023
The titular winemaker was away when I dropped in at their rather cozy cellar in Marsannay, but his brother Laurent, who incidentally makes wine under his own name, was on hand. He guided me through their wide range based around Aligoté, Pataille being the vanguard of the Les Aligoteur movement, not to mention his enticing array of site-specific Marsannay cuvées. Laurent Pataille looks much like his brother with those thick curly locks, initially more taciturn than Sylvain but soon chatting away. These are low-intervention wines with minimal and occasionally no use of sulfur. Many are aged for the first year in wooden foudres before being racked into used barrels. Pataille could not remember the exact picking date, except that harvest started in early September. I found a couple of cuvées just a little too natural for my liking, which set a few alarm bells ringing, while others were exceptionally fine and remain excellent value-for-money to boot.

Size: 1.05 ha (2.61 ac)
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vine Age: 1/3 of vines planted each in 1950, 1980, 1990
Terroir: Moderate to sleep slope, facing east. Light pink, gravelly (grèzes litées) soil. 270-300-meters elevation.
Viticulture: Certified organic, biodynamic methods
Vinification: 100% whole-cluster pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation. Aged for 18 months in barrel, low sulfur additions only at bottling.
Etymology: This vineyard was once owned by the Chapter (Chapitre in French) of Autun Collegiate Church. The vines and the woods that lie above them were owned by the Archbishop of Autun, who originally planted the vines there.
Site: Le Chapitre is 5 hectares (12.4 acres) with an elevation of 290 meters. It has a moderate to steep slope and faces east. When the Marsannay village appellation was created in 1987, the entire villages of Couchey and Marsannay, but only the southern part Chenôve was included. Because Le Chapitre lies north of the village, it was left out, yet, it is indisputably one of the greatest vineyards in this area. In his cellar, Sylvain pours it after his Clos du Roy. With the 2019 vintage, the INAO finally changed the classification of this vineyard from regional to village-level.
Soil: The gravelly, calcium-rich soil is light in texture and light, pinkish brown in color.
Geology: The majority of Le Chapitre sits on a thick layer of grèzes litées. This thick layer of unconsolidated limestone sits on top of the White Oolite limestone bedrock. Comblanchien limestone sits at the top of the slope above the vineyards and contributes to the slopewash.
Sylvain’s parcel: It is located on the northern side of the clos. However, he has just acquired another parcel within the small clos, which he calls his “Little Jewel.” Sylvain’s parcels are at around 290-meters elevation.