An exceptionally pretty, even perfumed, nose reflects notes of spicy red cherry liqueur, spiced tea and lovely floral whiffs. I very much like the highly seductive, lacy and sophisticated texture of the medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a dusty, youthfully austere and firm finish. Excellent.

Score: 91-93 Allen Meadow (AM), Bourghound (BH), January 2024

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru blends Gerbaude, Petite Chapelle, Champonnet and Belair, with 40% whole bunch pédicelle and one-third new oak. The bouquet o!ers vivacious red fruit intermixed with orange rind and allspice, the whole bunches allowing the terroir to come through. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, lending this real elegance and purity. Touches of black tea and light tobacco scents furnish the finish, which feels very harmonious.

One of Mortet´s hidden gems.Arnaud Mortet takes this Gevrey-based Domaine to a higher level every year, refining his approach. One major change has been a gradual reduction in the level of new oak, which you could argue was a little too high in the past. It’s more a controlled ‘dialing down’ from 100% in his top cuvées, to percentages commensurate with the fruit concentration, though he points out that this obliges longer durations in barrel. The other change was his removal of the pedicels from the whole bunches of his Premier and Grand Crus. The fastidious and time-consuming removal of the main stem both moderates its impact and, crucially, how much it potentially increases pH levels. Therefore, readers should be aware that where I quote whole bunches percentages in tasting notes, it is misleading to compare this figure with other growers, who don’t remove. The sensory effect is different. Mortet mentioned that this laborious process is undertaken only by women since men get bored after a few bunches!“I picked on September 1,” he explains. “I picked early to keep the freshness. The flavors were nice at that time, and we didn’t need a lot of alcohol to obtain maturity. I made a normal yield, 30 to 35hL/ha, because, in the northern part of Gevrey, where about 70% of my vines are located, we had hail three times. The hail was small, but we lost fruit each time. Fortunately, the damaged berries dried and just fell off.” We also discussed the torrential rainfall in June. He spoke about how the official measurements say that 100mm fell in just one hour, though he believes it must be higher because it was too much for the rain gauge to read. Mortet’s swimming pool flooded the garden, which was under 20cm of water.I tasted through both Mortet’s Domaine wines and his namesake négociant wines, which include an additional cuvée: Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze, where he bought fruit this year but, like the others, will manage the vines from the next. I find Mortet is becoming a real dab hand at utilizing significant whole bunches, imparting his wines with much more freshness than the richer, more opulent wines of the past. The fruit spectrum alternates between red and black depending on the cuvée, which is quite structured yet has increasing harmony and transparency. After our morning tasting, I asked whether he aims to expand his holdings further, but after the huge 2023 crop, he’s adamant that he has reached full capacity and to maintain his meticulous winemaking and quality, it would be self-defeating to take on any more vineyards.

Score: 90-92 Neal Martin (NM), Vinous Media (VM), January 2024

As in 2021, the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru includes fruit from his holdings in Champonnet, as yields were reduced by hail. Bursting with aromas of cherries, berries, rose petals and vine smoke, it´s medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, with a lively core of perfumed fruit and a mouthwateringly saline finish.

This is another strong vintage for Domaine Denis Mortet, where Arnaud Mortet presides over an impressive palette of some of the Côte de Nuits´s greatest appellations. Soils are cultivated mechanically, canopies are hedged high and late (at 1.50 meters, more or less the limit of an over-row tractor) and deleafing is thoughtful rather than systematic. In the winery, Mortet increasingly emphasizes manually processed grapes, with the rachis of each cluster cut out by hand, leaving berries on their pedicels intact. In the cellar, François Frères is ceding ground to Cavin—but without any concomitant shift in style in the direction of the overtly meretricious. The result? Wines that are supple and perfumed, with plenty of depth and flesh at the core, without any structural asperity. They can be drunk young—as no doubt they are drunk by many consumers today—but will age with grace too. In short, Mortet is at the top of his game today and settled into his contemporary style, and everything reviewed here comes recommended.

Score: 92-94 William Kelley (WK), The Wine Advocate (WA), January 2024