This is Arnaud Mortet's Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru from 2023, made under his own label in Gevrey-Chambertin. The fruit comes from the northern end of Charmes, close to Griotte-Chambertin, and the wine leans towards perfume and silk rather than muscle.
About This Wine
The vines are over 40 years old and sit on red, pebbly soil with plenty of active limestone. For 2023 a large share of the fruit went in as whole clusters with the central stalk removed. The vintage was warm and very abundant across the Côte de Nuits, and growers who thinned hard made ripe, perfumed wines; Mortet took on extra pickers and green-harvested to keep yields in check. Vinous rated this 94 to 96 from barrel, noting violet and iris aromas over a supple frame.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Violet, iris and rose petal over cherry and raspberry.
- Palate: Medium-bodied and silky, with fine, powdery tannin beneath the fruit and a light seam of clove and white pepper.
- Finish: Persistent and gently spiced, fanning out with red fruit and floral notes.
Serving & Food
Patience pays here: aim to open from about 2030 and over the decade that follows, and give it an hour in a decanter if you try one earlier. Serve at 15 to 16°C in a wide Burgundy bowl. Roast pigeon, duck breast with cherries or a mushroom and truffle risotto would all be good choices.
How to Enjoy
Gevrey fans laying down a Grand Cru from a much-followed grower, or a Pinot Noir dinner planned a few years ahead.
Product Details
Producer: Arnaud Mortet
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Appellation: Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Vintage: 2023
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Volume: 750mL
About the Maison
Arnaud Mortet is best known for running Domaine Denis Mortet, the Gevrey estate built on vines his grandfather Charles began planting in 1956 and expanded by his father Denis. Arnaud has been in charge since 2006, alongside his mother Laurence and sister Clémence. His separate Arnaud Mortet label began with the 2016 vintage, when a retiring grower handed around four hectares of old vines into his care. His team farms those vines to the same standard as the family estate and then buys the grapes, so the wines are technically négociant but fully under his control. The holdings take in village Gevrey, the Premiers Crus Lavaux Saint-Jacques and La Perrière, and the Grands Crus Charmes and Mazoyères. In the cellar he is known for cutting the central stem from each bunch by hand, so berries stay on their small stalks and ferment with whole-cluster lift but without green notes.