In 1964, Burgundy Took Away This Vineyard’s Famous Name...But Why?

Thierry Mortet Bourgogne Rouge Cote d'Or 2023 Link to Purchase Wine: https://www.winex.com/thierry-mortet-bourgogne-rouge-cote-d-or-2023.html Sometimes the most interesting Burgundy stories are hiding behind the humblest labels. This bottle may say Bourgogne Côte d’Or, but its story leads directly into Gevrey-Chambertin and a parcel caught up in a fascinating 1964 reclassification that stripped part of the vineyard of its village status. The result is exactly the kind of “secret vineyard” Burgundy we love finding: Pinot Noir from a tiny parcel with 20- and 55-year-old vines, farmed organically for decades and made in a classic, restrained style with stems and roughly one-third new oak. In the glass it’s fragrant, tender and juicy, with that cooler structural frame and deceptive complexity that immediately tells you this is far more serious than everyday Bourgogne Rouge. And at $39.98, the story gets even better. Burgundy prices continue to climb as tiny yields, difficult growing conditions and increasing costs put pressure on producers, making wines with this kind of vineyard pedigree increasingly difficult to find at anything approaching this price. This is exactly what we mean when we talk about insider Burgundy: forget what the appellation on the front label suggests, look at where the vines actually sit, and suddenly a $40 bottle can become one of the most compelling values in the region.