Today I have had the pleasure of tasting 'La forge de Tart' for the first time, a 2008 vintage from the famous Clos de Tart in Morey. While La forge is only second to Clos de Tart and made from grapes from the same estate, the producer named it a premier cru although it technically has grande cru status. I find this an interesting marketing gamble which shows just how much confidence they have in their brand and honestly why shouldnt they?
Clos de Tart is one of only a few monopole vineyards (a vineyard totally owned by one firm) in Burgundy alongside Romanee-cont's different holdings and only a handful of others. While it has only truly started to shine since the mid 1990s with the introduction of its current vintner; Sylvain Pitiot, the estate has been known throughout history as one of the earliest documented vineyards in Burgundy. It was first documented in the 11th century after being sold to the cistercian nuns of the Abbey de Tart. The nuns held the land until the revolution and it was then sold to a merchant by the name of Marey and stayed in his family until the Mommassin's bought it in the 1930s. So basicly in a peroid not so shy of one thousand years the plot has only seen 3 different owners!
Now lets start with the nose: This is my first wine from Morey-Saint-Denise so im not quite used to its characteristics. From what I gather and find when I smell the wine it seems like a more delicate and softer Gevrey; were Gevreys dark cherry bouqet to me is usually very forward and powerful, I found this ones Cherry scent reserved. Other than that typical burgundian baseline of cherrys and black current was a bit of mild, neutral, spices, very pronounced and fine oak as well as a touch of greenery and earth. On the pallet there was a finesse that im not used to as no one taste fought its was into the foreground. There was so much synergy between the different accents which worked together to create a very smooth taste which seemed to want to linger on my tongue indefinately. Its also worth noting the delicate balance of tanin and acidity in this wine; I'm used to very dominant acidity in burgundy wine but here I was pleasently surprised to find a fare share of fine silky tanins complimenting just the right amount of acidity. I hope this review has she'd a little more light on a wine and domaine for that matter which seems to permenantely be framed within a gleaming aura of double, if not triple rainbows.
thanks for checking in
-Charles
