Pataille/Sylvain Marsannay L'Ancestrale 2021

95 points Charles Curtis, MW (Decanter): "Lovely, expressive blackberry fruit is the first thing you smell, but not the last, with nuances of spice, earth, menthol, and smoke on the nose. The flavours continue to deepen on the palate, and there is a subtle, silky texture that is not jarring but impresses gradually with its near-perfect balance and length. The wine is blended from vines nearly a century old in the Clos du Roy blended with other venerable vines from the lieux-dits of Clémengeot and Les Ouzeloy, all fermented as whole clusters and aged in cask (50% new). Drinking Window: 2027-2045. (Nov 2022)"

91-93 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2021 Marsannay L'Ancestrale, a selection of Pataille's best old vines that are ploughed by horse, has quite an intense bouquet with blackberry and raspberry fruit, just a touch of pencil lead in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, very elegant and poised, pure with liquorice notes on the finish. Superb. Drink: 2025-2040. (Jan 2023)"