We have followed the wines of Denis Mortet for a number of years; first, charting Denis’ rise to become one of the stars of Burgundy in the 1990s and then, following his very sad death in 2006, watching his son Arnaud establish his own reputation and adapting the house style.
Denis’ wines were always powerful and rich with plenty of new oak character, a style which always split the crowd. With age, his wines blossom; the oak is well integrated and the wines offer up great elegance and power. This is a testament to the raw materials, as nobody worked harder than Denis in the vineyard. This is a tradition which Arnaud has worked resolutely to uphold. The fruit at this estate continues to be unimpeachable and very carefully selected. Arnaud honours his father’s work but the emphasis in his wines is on elegance over power. Utilising less oak than his father, his wines are still very concentrated and rich, but are also more lively, fresh and energetic. Without the walls of oak and extraction, they are more approachable in youth, yet still will age well.
A very exciting domain indeed, it is our view that Arnaud has adopted the very best aspects of his father’s approach and built on this great work. This is a high-quality operation and no expense is spared. In more recent years, Arnaud has begun purchasing selectively, in areas that include Bonnes Mares. He has implied this will continue and new holdings will no doubt make a welcomed addition to the traditional Mortet benchmarks of Lavaux St Jacques, Clos Vougeot and Chambertin and further augment the status of this feted domaine.
NB: Pricing for Denis Mortet will be published late this week.
Denis Mortet, Fixin Vieilles Vignes 2016
The average vines age here is 50 years, with the wine made from two parcels, one to the north of the appellation providing structure, the other to the south bringing elegance. 50% of the fruit is destemmed, 50% whole bunches. Pure concentrated cassis fruit nose gives way to a flowing palate of good density and structure. Good length of fruit carried by juicy freshness and spicy minerality. Drink 2018-2025
£190 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin, Cinq Terroirs 2016
Perfumed forest fruit on nose comes though on a flowing palate with a beautifully expressed mineral length. There is a pleasingly restrained savoury touch here too which adds complexity to an exemplary blend of the varied terroirs of Gevrey that constitute this vibrant and expressive cuvée. Drink 2018-2026
£290 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Les Champeaux 2016
From four different plots and 70 to 100-year-old vines, Mortet’s Champeaux opens with incredibly pure and vibrant dark cherry and raspberry fruit on nose and palate. There is firmness and power here too in a palate of structure and length. Drink 2019-2028
£ 650 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT
Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Lavaux St Jacques 2016
Pure, fresh, ripe forest fruit, beautifully focussed. Everything comes together here in terms of fruit depth and terroir expression. There is an appealing juicy fruit concentration underpinned by a mineral core, which drives the palate. This is so well delineated and precise with a very fine mineral persistence. Drink 2020-2030
£740 per six bottles in bond - SOLD OUT