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.
Domaine Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs 2015
Following the 2005 vintage, Arnaud took a break from bottling the ‘Mes Cinq Terroirs’ cuvée to allow the younger vines to mature, beginning again in 2013. This Gevrey cuvée is comprised of a selection of Au Velle, En Champs, En Motrot, La Combe du Dessus and En Dérée to contribute to this wine’s overall quality. Since its reintroduction, Mes Cinq Terroirs seems to benefit from Arnaud’s light touch. Aged partly in new oak, the 2015 is creamy and textural but with plenty of freshness to lift the fruit. This is a rich and powerful wine yet is in no way heavy. Indeed, the 2015 is very focused with core minerality which tempers and highlights the sumptuous fruit. An outstanding villages wine. Drink 2018-2025
£270 per six bottles in bond
Domaine Denis Mortet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques 2015
Domaine Denis Mortet holds by far the largest parcel of Lavaux Saint Jacques – just over one hectare. Lavaux is a large vineyard (circa nine hectares) with many owners and significant differences in style. Many examples of Lavaux are juicy and red fruited, but Mortet’s is typically dark and muscular with salty, tangy minerality and a hint of liquorice. 2015 is certainly a class act; powerful and complex yet restrained and elegant. A wine of stunning finesse, the pristine quality of the fruit and the purity shine through. Drink 2019-2028
£640 per six bottles in bond