Why it matters
The producer
Sylvain Pataille started Domaine Sylvain Pataille in 1999 with a single hectare and grew it to 15 hectares. The vineyards are planted mainly to Aligoté, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Marsannay as the domaine's central appellation focus.
The farming is biodynamic, with very low yields and horse drawn ploughing. In the cellar, Pataille uses indigenous yeast, presses slowly for a long period and adds very little sulfur only at bottling. Wines age for 15 to 18 months, or longer for some cuvées. New oak normally accounts for 15 to 30 percent of the ageing vessels, reaching 50 percent in some larger cuvées.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Marsannay la Côte sits at the northern edge of the Côte de Nuits. Pataille keeps his work within Marsannay and its related Bourgogne classifications, declining other appellations.
The domaine bottles individual lieux dits separately. A lieu dit is a named vineyard parcel, so separate bottling keeps differences between Marsannay parcels on their own labels instead of combining them into one village wine.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range covers rosé, red and white wines. Fleur de Pinot Domaine Sylvain Pataille 2023 is a rosé labelled Côte de Nuits. Marsannay Rouge Sylvain Pataille 2023 is a red wine, while Bourgogne Aligoté Domaine Sylvain Pataille 2023 is a white wine labelled Bourgogne Aligoté.
Marsannay Rouge Clémengeots is a separate Marsannay cuvée from the domaine's parcel led range. It has an intense cherry nose, concentrated tannins, grip without toughness, and persistent spice. The bottle shows how a named lieu dit can carry its own profile within the wider Marsannay collection.