2013 Marsannay Les Longeroies

Arnaud Mortet described 2013 as "un millesime des vignerons," as decisions in the vineyards were critical to success. He did a total of 11 vineyards treatments during late spring and summer, than an extra pass through his vines to pull leaves in early September. He began picking his grapes on September 30, and only had two rain-free days during the harvest. "The rain brought some dilution but we also allowed the skins to ripen by waiting. Lots of triage was necessary, beginning in the vines, to keep rotten grapes out of the boxes, and then we eliminate the rosé grapes in the cuverie. Potential alcohol levels were between 11.8% and 12.3% and Mortet chaptalized one degree. Malic acidity levels in the grapes were in the 4.5 grams-per-liter range, "like in 2008, but the tannins in 2013 were riper." Mortet now uses 40% to 70% new oak for his premier crus and is continuing to reduce this percentage. He told me he did just five or six pigeages for each cuvée, "especially at the end because I work with a lot of uncrushed berries and it's necessary to free the juice." Beginning with 2014, Mortet will make some Bonnes-Mares and Mazis-Chambertin through a metayage arrangement financed by a French/Chinese investor.