1993 Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques

Although I did not have the opportunity to taste Mortet's highly-regarded 1993 Chambertin or Clos de Vougeot, his Gevrey-Chambertin Au Velle and Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques are both deeply colored, lavishly-oaked, medium-bodied wines with considerable structure and tannin, as well as good fruit concentration. Nevertheless, they are not sure bets given their severe tannin levels. The Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques possesses more stuffing and ripeness, as well as a longer finish. It requires 3-5 years of cellaring. I have derived modest enjoyment from Mortet's elegant, finesse-styled red burgundies and thought he had the potential to be one of the stars of Gevrey-Chambertin. Since I published my book on Burgundy in 1990, I have to say that the quality appears to have stalled at a pleasant, but uninspiring level. As do many Burgundy growers, Mortet has traditionally relied on the Kisselguhr system of filtration, but his American importer, Martine Saunier, has recently persuaded him to abandon the practice. Consequently, his 1993s are among the darkest-colored wines he has made. They are all capable of 6-10 years of cellaring. Importer: Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800