Arnaud Mortet : Charmes-Chambertin Grand cru 2020

Tasting characteristics and advice for Arnaud Mortet’s Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020

Tasting

Color

The wine displays an intense ruby-red hue with violet highlights, reflecting the wine’s youth and the concentration of the vintage.

Nose

The nose opens with a pure, airy expression of red fruit, notably cherry. Floral notes of violet and iris gradually emerge, bringing a perfumed, sensual dimension characteristic of the Charmes-Chambertin appellation.

Palate

The palate is medium-bodied with a silky, almost cashmere-like tannin texture. The attack reveals red-fruit aromas accompanied by subtle spicy notes. Minerality comes through mid-palate, reflecting the limestone and marl soils of the terroir. The finish stands out for its remarkable length and elegance, with lingering freshness and fine, perfectly integrated tannins.

Food and wine pairings

This Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 is an ideal match for grilled or sauced game meats, roast poultry, refined beef preparations, or coq au vin. It also pairs beautifully with washed-rind cheeses such as Munster or well-aged cheeses with pronounced character. Wild mushroom dishes also make a harmonious pairing.

Serving and cellaring

The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 can be enjoyed now while offering cellaring potential through around 2040 - 2050. Decanting for one hour helps aerate the wine and fully reveal its aromatic complexity. The ideal serving temperature is between 16 and 18°C.

A Burgundian Grand Cru combining purity and elegance

The estate

Established in 1992 by Denis Mortet following the division of the family holdings, the estate now spans sixteen hectares in Burgundy, mainly in Gevrey-Chambertin. Arnaud Mortet, who took over in 2006 at the age of twenty-four after the untimely passing of his father, now runs the estate alongside his mother Laurence and his sister Clémence. In 2016, the acquisition of an additional four hectares led to the creation of Domaine Arnaud Mortet, a separate entity managed according to the same principles. The estate stands out for sustainable viticulture (50% organic), the use of horses for plowing, and a minimalist winemaking approach that favors elegance and the expression of terroir, with a notable reduction in extraction and new oak.

The vineyard

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy proved particularly hot and dry, placing significant water stress on the vines during the summer. This heat caused berry dehydration, cutting yields in half compared with a normal year. The grapes had thick skins and exceptional concentration of sugars and tannins. Despite this extreme ripeness, the vintage retained remarkably high acidity. Harvest took place in sunny conditions, allowing grapes of outstanding quality to be picked despite the demanding circumstances.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 were hand-harvested and meticulously sorted. Winemaking included around thirty percent whole clusters, a proportion adapted to the characteristics of the vintage to preserve freshness. Fermentation was carried out with indigenous yeasts. Aging took place over seventeen months in oak barrels, seventy percent of which were new, allowing subtle integration of oaky notes without masking the expression of fruit and terroir. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, thus preserving its aromatic integrity.

Grape variety

Pinot noir (100%).