(Originally published 25 May 2017)
Arnaud Mortet said that he began harvesting on 3 September. He was one of the lucky ones, with overall yield of about 40 hl/ha. (2016 will be much lower because Mortet has significant holdings in areas that were hit by the 27 April 2016.) Arnaud said that he had no problem with the drought over the summer, a prime cause of low yields at other estates, because he works the soil very deep, encouraging the wines to go down, and then stopped working the soil early. Maturities were the highest ever for the estate with potential alcohols in the range of 12.5-13.6/7º. He used a fair amount of whole clusters in the vinification. Malolactic fermentations finished between March and June, which is not late for this estate.
Arnaud Mortet said that he began harvesting on 3 September. He was one of the lucky ones, with overall yield of about 40 hl/ha. (2016 will be much lower because Mortet has significant holdings in areas that were hit by the 27 April 2016.) Arnaud said that he had no problem with the drought over the summer, a prime cause of low yields at other estates, because he works the soil very deep, encouraging the wines to go down, and then stopped working the soil early. Maturities were the highest ever for the estate with potential alcohols in the range of 12.5-13.6/7º. He used a fair amount of whole clusters in the vinification. Malolactic fermentations finished between March and June, which is not late for this estate.
The trend here to less use of whole clusters and less new oak continues, adding freshness and elegance to the wines.
Mortet fans will be happy that the number of offerings has increased in significant ways with new premiers and grands crus in recent years, but those mindful of price will still find good village wines at lower prices.
I found these wines less easy to judge than usual, and it is possible that they are underrated here.
2015 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Cuvée Noble Souche
This wine had an unusual Cognac-like nose, presumably some sort of winemaking by-product that will be eliminated at bottling. The mouth is smooth, long, and intense with dark fruits and seemingly some wood showing. No whole clusters in this wine, 20% new oak. (84-87?)
2015 Fixin Champs Pennebaut vieilles vignes
This wine is almost liqueur-like in its dark fruit flavors. it is smooth, steely, and long. From vines that are 60-80 years old. This wine is 100% whole clusters because the berries were too small to destem. (85-89)
2015 Marsannay Les Longeroies
This excellent Marsannay features dark fruits and red raspberries and it is steely, deep, and smooth. Entirely destemmed and 20% new oak here. (88-91)
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin Mes 5 Terroirs
This wine comes from five of the best lieux-dits in the Gevrey village appellation and from old vines. The wine is smooth, fresh, and long. The body is medium-weight and there’s finesse here to go with the dark and red berry fruit. 30% whole clusters and 30% new oak. (89-92)
2015 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Beaux Bruns
Typical of Beaux Bruns the nose shows plum fruit. The mouth features ripe dark fruits and a little more weight here than in the Mes 5 Terroirs, but there’s still finesse and lightness on the palate. Good length. 20% new oak here. The vines are now about 40 years old. (89-92)
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
Some years ago, this wine included more area (see Champonnets, below), but the current version is from Petite Chapelle, Cherbaudes, and Bel-Air, only. The wine is dense with plenty of energy, and dark plum fruit. As one would expect, it is less dense than the Beaux Bruns. 40% whole clusters and 40% new oak here. (90-93)
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champonnets
The Champonnets was at one time included in the straight Gevrey 1er Cru. The wine shows dark fruits, a little minerality, some oak, some tannin, and it is light on the palate. It needs more time to come together. 10-15% whole clusters here, 40% new oak. (91-94)
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux
The Champeaux is energetic with finesse, lightness, length, and some tannin showing. 50+% whole clusters here, 40% new oak. (91-95)
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques
Mortet’s Lavaux-Saint-Jacques features a stony, mineral nose. The mouth is mineral, stony, and intense, but with finesse. The nose and mouth are stony and mineral, typical of Lavaux-Saint-Jacques. The mouth is intense but with finesse and length. The wine is a very good representative of Lavaux-Saint-Jacques. 60-70% new oak, 25-30% whole clusters, and from five different parcels within the vineyard. (92-95)
2015 Mazis-Chambertin
One of the newer additions to Mortet’s cellar, the Mazis-Chambertin is from a parcel next to Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze from the lower part of the upper part of Mazis. (Got that?) The surface area is 20 ares, or about 1/2 an acre. The vines here are about 50-60 years old. The fruit is dark and the wine is nervy and intense with a bit of Mazis flamboyance. 40-50% whole clusters here, 70% new oak. (92-95)
2015 Clos-Vougeot
This wine is elegant for Clos-Vougeot with typical red and black raspberry fruit. Although light on the palate, the wine is powerful, long, and tannic. 40% whole clusters, 70% new oak here. (91-95)
2015 Bonnes-Mares
This superb Bonnes-Mares displays finesse and length to go with layered dark fruits. The soils here are about 70% white, 30% red, and 30 are of the vines are in the middle of the slope, the remaining 5 are are at the southern end. Yield in 2015 was 20hl/ha., so there should only be in the neighborhood of 850-900 bottles of this wine. 70% new oak, 30% whole cluster. (94-97)
2015 Chambertin
Ultimately, the greatest wine on the day I tasted was the Chambertin. The nose is stony, and the stoniness continues in the mouth filled with red fruits. The wine has freshness and is complete. 100% new oak, 50% whole clusters. (94-98)