Domaine Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Rose 'Fleur de Pinot', Cote de Nuits, France 2022

Born and bred in Marsannay, although not from a winemaking family, Sylvain had to start from scratch to get a domaine of his own. From a young age he knew he wanted to be a vigneron, inspired by his grandfather and father while helping to vinify a few barrels "pour la consommation familiale". He went to the wine school in Beaune at age 14 and then to the wine university in Bordeaux in order to become an oenologist. And Sylvain explains, "since my parents didn’t have any vines or domaine, my plan was to travel and make several harvests a year. Instead, I got a job at a lab in Beaune (with Kyriakos Kynigopoulos), where I stayed from 1997 to 2001. I learned a lot but it was quite superficial – you try the wines during vinification and aging, and after that you don’t exist anymore. The wines are not yours and the guy who made them has forgotten about you. I really needed to create something that I could call my own."

The "Fleur de Pinot" is a rosé that should defy expectations. Anticipate a nose filled with fragrant notes of fresh strawberries, rose petals, and perhaps a hint of citrus zest. The palate should echo these aromatics with added dimensions of minerality and a touch of spice. Its structure and complexity might remind one more of a light red than a traditional rosé.