May 3, 2019 - The CT community is right. 04 Mortet is very green.
March 20, 2018 - Having read the previous seven tasting notes I'm leaving a score and final comment until the end of the evening. The Lavaux is the last of half-a-dozen Mortets purchased in 2006 (and the Mes Cinq Terroirs provided some excellent drinking over a couple of years). First impressions matched the previous comments. Is this a Shiraz? Over-extracted. Rather hard.
Three hours later: hmm - still a big clumsy wine with an unfortunate (metallic?) note to the taste that I can't quite place.
Next day: as above.
November 8, 2013 - Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Wow, what a difference some air makes! Initially I agreed completely with Shiaxonna, but this wine is an example of what makes Burgundy so great. When poured this exhibited thin hard red fruit, the bitter herbaceous quality from this vintage and the worst was the disjointed (f'd up acidity) making the wine hardly drinkable. Everybody smiled and politely took small sips because the wine was not cheap, but I did not hold back and bashed it up and over again. One of the guys mentioned to give this some air and we'll see what happens. Low and behold 1.5-2 hrs later this wine completely transformed. It showed none of the green notes, the acidity calmed down, soft rich fruit and leather came together and the wine was overall harmonious. I felt very sorry for the owner who left thinking he wasted $170, but man we thoroughly enjoyed the rest of that wine!
May 3, 2013 - Denis Mortet must have been in the experimental corner when he made this. Not only is the well known 2004 greenies quite prominent in the glass, but this brew shows almost no pinot characteristics at all. The first half hour the wine is hard to like. Smells like alcohol, a green sting on the nose, it's like making love in a canoo... fucking close to water. At first I thought this has to be a bad bottle or completely on the way down the hill. After an hour though, it suddenly became quite good. Smells a bit unusual, almost like a cheap Italian. However, it tastes quite balanced and good, but not like a burgundie. Is this a blend of syrah? Seems like it.. After another half hour greenies return as a kick in the nose. The taste is suddenly a little dry. I've never completely understood the Coccinella-phobia, but there is a certain aspect to this wine that resembles some 2004-burgs I've tasted earlier. But I do not have the habit of munching ladybugs, so I can not be sure what this is. The balance starts to disappear as well. Acidic and tannic.
The conclusion must be that this is not the best legacy Denis the wine-magician left behind. If you drink a Mortet tonight, drink any other bottle than this.
50 +5 +9 +13 +6 (83p)
November 12, 2011 - pop-n-pour; aromatic berries and cherries dominated bouquet; clear pinot juicy character; a little bit unbalanced on palate with some glassy and slight bitter minerality; vintage factor is quite apparent; I think it could perform better if I have time to allow it to stand for 1-2 days before serving
October 25, 2011 - Rich nose, dark fruit, dirt, spruce, farmyard. Med. to med+ body, lowish acidity, a bit heavy, quite spicy. Long and funky. Rather disappointing.
November 21, 2008 - This wine was served in a bracket of three and was very dark in colour. Made the other two look very old if judged on colour alone. Just shows that the pale limpid looking wines from Burgundy posess more than this pretender ever would (see other Engel, Rousseau 04's). Seriously over extracted and like being bludgeoned over the head with an oak tree. Served blind most people thought it a Shiraz or Cabernet and I'd have to agree. Very modern new world and nothing charming about this wine. Avoid like the plague.
September 8, 2006 - Well, after a mixed-to-mediocre batch of pinots, this was the heavy artillery. Remarkably dark ruby/purple it looked more like a syrah in the glass. But no mistaking the varietal after one swirl and sniff. Somewhat closed aromatically, but showing some dark fruit and spice, this was a full-bodied, mouth filling wine of incredible concentration. Completely loaded without being overripe or heavy, just tons of dark, brooding fruit, earth, spice, a very faint hint of oak. Layers and layers all in balance, truly impressive. I would love to see what this turns into 20+ years down the road.