Pungent green herbs and black tea smokiness share billing with fresh black fruits in the nose of Mortet’s 2008 Marsannay Les Longeroies, leading to a palate remarkably akin to that of his Bourgogne from its dramatically different terroir on the other side of Dijon. Lip-smacking salinity, tart berry skin, and fruit pit piquancy make for a savory, juicy, finish to which the aforementioned smoky herbal pungency adds further invigoration. There is noticeable tanninity here which will hopefully integrate itself post-bottling. I would tentatively plan on enjoying this over the next 3-4 years, in the course of which one can assess whether perhaps it has further potential. Arnaud Mortet was one of several young Burgundy growers to remind me that he had never before witnessed anything remotely like 2008 even in the sense of a vintage about which he was forced to at one point confront the sinking feeling “perhaps the fruit simply won’t ripen.” In the event, he need not have worried, because his knack, low yields (encompassing this year three separate green harvests), and outstanding vineyards teamed-up for a fine collection. Mortet pursued a regimen of very gentle fermentative extraction – as much from stylistic proclivity, though, as from caution –chaptalizing at most a half a degree, and then only on non-cru lots. This was also a vintage with malo-lactic fermentations later than any Mortet had previously witnessed, but I suspect that if his late, great father Denis – or for that matter his grandfather – could testify, they would have said the same. Some lots did not finish until the spring of last year, as a result of which neither Mortet’s Fixin nor his basic village Gevrey were not testable when I last visited. (Nor, unfortunately, did I have opportunity to taste any of Mortet’s 2007s.) Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400