An Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
2014 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs
Amy Beach, Romance for violin and piano, Op. 23
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When appreciating a master painting, the image stays with us for a long time. Similarly, when reading great literature, the words linger in our minds. The same is true for wine and music: the good ones leave a lasting impression and an afterglow. These two are the ones I have enjoyed very much, and they will stay with me for a long time. Today, I want to write about a bottle of wine that I savored and a musical composition that is lesser known yet powerful.
Walt Whitman once said, “The art of art, the glory of expression, and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.” I believe simplicity is the best word to describe both of them. Simplicity, not implying they are simple wine or simple music, but referring to the pure form of excellence that shines without any artificial embellishments or gimmicks.
Mortet’s Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs was a delight to uncork and enjoy. I opened this bottle in celebration of my wife’s birthday. Gevrey-Chambertin is one of her favorite winemaking regions in Burgundy. She loves the bold, fruit-driven, concentrated, and long-lasting expression of the Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noirs. She picked out the wine herself and eagerly anticipated the day we would open it. At first, I worried that I might have opened it while the wine was still young and maturing. However, as wine enthusiasts who appreciate wines at various stages, we thoroughly enjoyed experiencing how it unfolded its stories.
An iconic figure in Burgundy, Denis Mortet started his winemaking career at his father’s Domaine, Charles Mortet, which he took over in the mid-80s. During this time, he became friends with the Burgundian legend Henri Jayer, who greatly influenced Mortet’s winemaking. In 1991, Charles Mortet retired, and Denis Mortet inherited vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. That year, Denis Mortet was invited to a tasting of the 1991 Lalou Bize-Leroy with the master herself. With the mentorship of Jayer and Leroy, Denis Mortet launched his own Domaine. After the untimely death of Denis Mortet, his son Arnaud Mortet took over the Domaine in 2006. With the help of his mother and sister, Arnaud elevated the reputation of the Domaine by creating more elegant and refined wines. The wines from Domaine Denis Mortet are excellent examples of the ongoing and leading Jayer school of winemaking and philosophy.
As the name suggests, the wine is a blend of five different parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin. These five unique terroirs come together in one bottle, harmonizing their distinct personalities. The five “lieux-dits” in this wine are En Motrot, Au Vellé, Combe du Dessus, En Champs, and En Derée. These plots are located on the northern slope of Gevrey-Chambertin, called Côteau de Brochon. Berries from these parcels of old vines are concentrated, showcasing richness, silkiness, and fruitiness.
This wine was complex, harmonizing all the subtle notes beautifully. Mostly dominated by dark fruit notes, it also showed hints of bottle aging. It was very enjoyable to taste and drink, but I felt the wine could benefit from even more time in the cellar. The primary notes I savored included blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, strawberry, black plum, red plum, red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, rhubarb, umami, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, celery, prune, raisin, and cooked cranberry. All the primary, secondary, and tertiary characteristics came together in a harmonious ensemble.
As for the pairing, I paired this wine with a New York strip steak, cooked medium well. Personally, I would cook it no more than medium, but knowing my wife’s preference, I cooked it medium well for her birthday dinner. The fruit notes of the wine cut through the richness of the meat, and the meaty flavors complemented the tertiary notes of the wine quite well.
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Let’s now talk about Amy Beach (1867–1944). Besides being a pianist, Beach is considered the first successful female American composer of larger-scale art compositions. Her Symphony “Gaelic” was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, making it the first symphony written and published by an American woman. She is also known as the first American composer to succeed without the help of European training.
After her marriage in 1885, Beach, like many wives of the upper-middle class at the time, could not fully continue her career as a concert pianist. She began teaching herself composition with the help of her amateur singer husband, who was not fond of her having a tutor. During this time, she gained significant recognition, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra premieres of her Gaelic Symphony and the Piano Concerto featuring Beach as a soloist, and the premiere of her Mass in E-flat major.
In 1910, after her husband’s passing, she moved to Europe in hopes of recovery. For a while, she did not work, but she eventually made her European debut in 1912. Her Gaelic Symphony and Piano Concerto were performed in multiple European cities, and she was acknowledged as the first American woman capable of composing music with a European quality of excellence.
She returned to the US after the outbreak of World War I and dedicated her life to mentoring young composers, composing music, publishing articles on programming and piano techniques, collaborating with fellow female composers, and establishing musical education for children and women.
Romance, Op. 23, is written for violin and piano. It is a very short piece, lasting about six minutes. However, the aftertaste of the piece is everlasting. This is one of those pieces that you will think about as you leave the concert hall. The opening melody possesses a singable quality that is very easy to remember. As the melody progresses and develops throughout the piece, it creates a sense of yearning and nostalgia. To me, it is like looking at an old photo from years past; something that you forget about, something that is now too old, leaving behind only good memories. Recollection, that is the word and feeling that can sum up this piece.
In my opinion, compositions by Amy Beach are still greatly underplayed, even to this day; her music is incredibly beautiful, powerful, and moving. The contributions of women composers have historically been less appreciated and recognized, and many compositions by women composers are only now being discovered and performed. I have been fortunate to hear a lot of Amy Beach’s music in recent years. Her music, as I stated, is powerful. Living in a society where the same music is performed repeatedly by multiple artists, we all yearn for something refreshing yet substantial. Every time I encounter unfamiliar works by Amy Beach at concerts, I am thrilled to discover another piece of beautiful music that I had never heard before.
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My feelings about music are extremely personal, just as my feelings about wine are. I opened this bottle to celebrate my wife’s birthday, and thanks to it, I now have one more cherished memory of that special day. Moreover, I am celebrating the time this wine has spent in the bottle. Listening to Amy Beach’s Romance made me contemplate the idea of somewhat forgotten music, waiting to be played all these years.
Both ‘Mes Cinq Terroirs’ and Amy Beach’s Romance are complex pieces that evoke our sensory and emotional experiences. Beach composed melodies, rhythms, harmonies, and musical structures, all of which converge to create impeccable harmonies and result in a powerful masterpiece. Domaine Denis Mortet combined the five terroirs into a bottle of wine, creating a beautiful harmony that expresses five different personalities. Both powerful yet elegant like an iron fist in a velvet glove.
Romance Op. 23 by Amy Beach; performed by Noah Bendix-Balgley on violin and Ohad Ben-Ari on piano