Arnaud Mortet Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2023

Arnaud Mortet Chambertin Clos de Bèze is the only négociant wine in the portfolio, bought as fruit from a grower working to the domaine’s standards.

Clos de Bèze is the elder of the two great Grands Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin, planted by the monks of the Abbaye de Bèze in the seventh century and lying immediately north of Chambertin itself, with which it shares the right to the Chambertin name. Its fifteen hectares sit mid-slope on brown limestone soils that give wines combining the power of Gevrey with a finer, more perfumed frame than the commune usually offers. Arnaud Mortet does not own vines here; this is the single bought-in wine in his range, sourced from an established grower whose farming he vouches for. The vines are approaching eighty years of age. A third of the fruit was kept whole-bunch, with the pedicels only, and just under a quarter new oak was used in the élevage.

Needs a decade and will reward two or three. Serve at 16-18°C with roast venison, beef with truffle or aged Comté.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Full-bodied, Powerful, Age-worthy
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: Comparable to a fine Pinot Noir, but far deeper, firmer and longer than a fruit-driven New World example
Alcohol Percentage: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru AOC
Region: Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Limestone and marl on the mid slope north of Chambertin
Aging: Raised in barrel with restrained use of new oak
Serving Temperature: 16℃ – Decant well ahead of serving

Arnaud Mortet works in Gevrey-Chambertin, the largest and most celebrated red wine commune of the Côte de Nuits, farming the family vineyards his father established a reputation with. The wines are built on low yields, meticulous work in the vineyard and a restrained hand in the cellar.

Chambertin Clos de Bèze is among the oldest documented vineyards in Burgundy, planted by the monks of the abbey of Bèze in the seventh century, and the site from which Chambertin itself takes its name. It sits on the mid slope north of Chambertin on limestone and marl, and is one of only two grand crus in the commune permitted to be sold under the Chambertin name. Wines from the Clos are held to combine the power of Chambertin with a little more perfume and finesse.

Game: Perfect with hare, venison, wild boar or roast grouse
Meat: Excellent with beef fillet, braised oxtail or rack of lamb
Truffle: Pairs beautifully with truffle dishes or a truffled celeriac purée
Cheese: Ideal with Ami du Chambertin and long-aged hard cheeses

Ami du Chambertin: The washed rind of Gevrey itself, made expressly for these wines
Langres: Pungent and washed rind, matching the wine’s power
Comté Extra-Vieux: Long-aged and crystalline, softening the wine’s tannin
Époisses: Rich and intense, a Burgundian pairing for a Burgundian red

Lièvre à la Royale (Braised Hare in Red Wine)

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 1 hare, jointed, with liver reserved
• 750ml red Burgundy
• 200g pork belly, diced
• 100g chicken livers
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 French shallots, peeled
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 500ml veal or game stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 4 tbsp duck fat or butter
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Celeriac purée, to serve

Instructions:

1. Marinate the hare overnight in the red wine with the bay and thyme.
2. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade, and dry the pieces thoroughly.
3. Melt the duck fat in a heavy casserole and brown the hare deeply on all sides. Remove and set aside.
4. Add the pork belly, whole garlic cloves and whole shallots, cooking until golden and softened.
5. Pour in the brandy and let it cook off, then add the reserved marinade and reduce by a third.
6. Return the hare, add the stock, cover and cook in a low oven at 140℃ for three hours until the meat falls from the bone.
7. Lift out the hare and keep it warm. Blend the livers into the sauce off the heat to thicken and enrich it, then strain and check the seasoning.
8. Return the meat to the sauce and serve with celeriac purée.

The grandest game dish in French cooking, and one of the few that can meet a grand cru Gevrey on level terms. The wine’s depth, tannin and length carry a sauce this rich, while its acidity and dark fruit cut through the liver and duck fat rather than being buried by them.