Denis Mortet Marsannay Les Longeroies 2019

PRE-ARRIVAL DUE MID JUNE

 

The vineyard name, Les Longeroies, probably comes from the French verb longer which means ‘to border’. This makes sense as Longeroies is on the boundary between Marsannay and the next village of Chenôve. It is a star climat of the AOC and has been earmarked for promotion to 1er Cru (when Marsannay finally gets some!) Longeroies faces south, and the two Mortet parcels sit mid-slope. One is 50 years old, and the other was planted with Pinot Fin clones in 1992.

The aging consisted of 18 months in oak, only 10-15% new and the balance in one- and two-year-old barrels. Fifty per cent whole bunches were used this year. Although the prices are now rising, Marsannay remains one of the last great value appellations of the Côte, and this is certainly one of its very best examples.

Dark clean colour, the nose is discreet with an amazing wealth of fruit on the cusp of red and black, a little softer in the mouth than the Bourgogne with the same superb length. 90-92 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

A slightly less expressive but extremely fresh nose offers up notes of earth, dark currant, spice and plum. The ripe, seductive and sleek middle weight flavors possess fine mid-palate density before culminating in a saline-inflected and youthfully austere finale. 88-91 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound