2007 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru

In retrospect, the 2007 Romanée Saint-Vivant from Domaine Sylvain Cathiard was the big hit of the night. I sat in awe of its presence. Given such strong competition, I might not have bet on that before this five-way face-off. The 2007 comes from a period when Sébastian Cathiard was working with his father Sylvain and just before the inauguration of their new cellar. It declined to make a grand entrance and let others, not least the Richebourg, reap the bon mots. Surprisingly, it began in slightly rustic fashion, quite stalky and tertiary in style. This was just a phase. Midway through dinner, around “cannelloni o’clock,” it transfigured into a quite spellbinding RSV that floored its audience, almost audacious on the nose of pure black cherries, crushed iris petals, incense and wild heather. The palate is blessed with beguiling symmetry and perfectly pitched acidity, an alchemical coalescence that was wondrous to behold, and seamless toward the satin-textured finish, which had the most depth of all five wines. It seemed to come in from nowhere and ended up my personal wine of the night. This is Romanée-Saint-Vivant firing on all cylinders, but I would decant any bottles.