“Pataille is proof that major Burgundy can come from a minor address.” – Jancis Robinson, on the humble village of Marsannay.
Sylvain Pataille’s father, a bus driver by trade, spent all his free time helping in a friend’s vineyards. Sylvan’s uncle owned an estate in the Medoc that the family visited every summer. Even as a child, Sylvain knew that he too belonged in the vineyards. In 1999, he started with one mere hectare, and slowly grew his estate to 15 hectares. Years of trusting his vision have paid off.
The 2022 Marsannay Clos du Roy is a wine steeped in history and shaped by its remarkable terroir. The vineyard, located in Chenôve at the northernmost edge of the Marsannay appellation, carries a name that harks back to 1477, when Burgundy’s ducal lands were annexed by the Kingdom of France after the fall of Charles the Bold. The site’s history is etched into its very soil—a mix of gravelly, iron-rich deposits, White Oolite limestone, and sandy marl—creating a foundation for wines of both power and finesse.
Sitting at 270 meters with a slightly south-of-east exposure, Clos du Roy benefits from soils that are both poor and rich in character: light and gravelly yet imbued with calcium and iron, lending the wine its hallmark mineral backbone. Sylvain Pataille’s low-intervention approach, including minimal sulfur and extended aging in foudres and used barrels, allows this unique terroir to shine with unfiltered clarity.
The 2022 vintage showcases Clos du Roy at its finest. Neal Martin (92-94) describes its bouquet as “very well-defined,” brimming with black cherries, wild strawberries, and notes of inkwell and brine. On the palate, the wine is taut and fresh, its fine-grain tannins framing a poised, elegant finish—“about as good a Marsannay as you will find in this vintage.” Jasper Morris (90-92) echoes this sentiment, praising its dense red berry fruit and mineral complexity, with the potential to evolve into something spectacular by 2028-2034.
This is a wine of striking depth and refinement, a pure expression of its historical vineyard and the thoughtful craftsmanship of Sylvain Pataille. For lovers of Burgundy, the 2022 Marsannay Clos du Roy is both a treasure to discover now and a promise for the future.
