Sylvain Pataille Marsannay Les Longeroies 2019

Old French gave this vineyard its name: longe, a long narrow strip, and roie, the furrow cut by a plow. Les Longeroies is among Marsannay's most celebrated lieux-dits, and Sylvain Pataille works 0.83 hectare of the Bas des Longeroies, a southeast-facing slope at 275 meters where shallow gravelly soils at the top of the parcel deepen over ancient Ouche riverbed alluvium below. A third of the vines date to the mid-1950s, the rest to the early 2000s. Whole-cluster fermentation with ambient yeasts, gentle extraction, and 18 months in barrel with only 15 percent new wood keep the site in focus. The 2019 shows black cherry and dark berry fruit over a velvety palate, spice and a peppery lift on the finish, with an elegance that explains the site's standing. Marsannay at its most refined.