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B-21 Top Recommendation
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A well-guarded secret of savvy California collectors, Morlet Family Vineyards produces small quantities of exceptional, vineyard-driven wines that until now have been exclusively available to their mailing list and the world’s top restaurants, offering a rare opportunity to acquire these highly-rated Morlet selections from top vintages at best on the market pricing.
Born in Epernay, talented winemaker Luc Morlet’s roots stretch back five generations at his family’s estate in the Champagne region, mentored by legendary wine consultant Jacques Boissenot after attending viticultural school in France before moving to the US over two decades ago and working with top Napa winemakers like John Kongsgaard at Newton Vineyard. Described by Jeb Dunnuck as producing wines with “terrific richness and depth while remaining weightless and elegant,” Luc served as winemaker for some of the region’s most elite estates including Newton, Peter Michael and Staglin, crafting some of their top scoring wines before establishing his own label in 2006 with his California-born wife Jodie. Highlighting “the more sumptuous, extroverted side of top vineyard sites in both Napa Valley and Sonoma” according to Vinous critic Antonio Galloni, Luc sources his grapes from the region’s most iconic vineyards like To Kalon for Cab and Ritchie for Chard in addition to establishing his own estate vineyards near Morlet’s St. Helena winery. Starting off with his elegant Bordeaux-styled white, the lush and aromatic 99 pt. 2019 Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Doree is a blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with a little Muscadelle, boasting a “lively backbone and epic length” according to the Wine Independent’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown. Jeb Dunnuck calls the 97 pt. 2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Ma Princesse from Russian River’s Ritchie Vineyard “terrific” and poised to “deliver the goods through 2033,” while he describes the 100 pt. 2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Coup de Coeur as an “uber barrel-selection blend” of Morlet’s Chardonnay vineyards that “does everything right,” balancing full-bodied richness and enticing minerality with “one heck of a long finish.” The 98 pt. 2018 Morlet Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles features “a plush texture and bags of freshness,” according to Lisa Perrotti-Brown, while the 96 pt. 2018 Morlet Family Vineyards Pinot Noir En Famille boasts luscious fresh and energetic fruit, labeled “a Pinot of real distinction” by Vinous critic Antonio Galloni. From two top vintages in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA, both scoring 98 pts., the fresh-fruited 2018 and 2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Joli Coeur offer rich, vibrant berry flavors with smooth tannins and tantalizing minerality, summed up as “super appealing” by critic Galloni and built to enjoy over the next decade. And finally Luc’s stunning Cabernet Sauvignons from the exceptional 2016 vintage – the 98 pt. 2016 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee, his To Kalon release that’s “a thrill a minute” according to Jeb Dunnuck and “as seamless and elegant as they come” – the 96 pt. 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier from Morlet’s Knights Valley vineyard that’s “already terrific yet will keep for 20-25 years or more” according to Dunnuck – and the “fabulous” 97 pt. 2016 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Estate possessing “tremendous class and pedigree to burn” according to critic Antonio Galloni, composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaux cuttings planted in Morlet’s St. Helena vineyard.
An array of stunning, elegant wines balancing richly textured fruit with powerfully structured depth, these stellar Morlet selections rank “at the top end of the qualitative hierarchy” from “one of northern California’s most talented wine producers” according to Robert Parker Jr., all cellar worthy additions to any collection and a rare opportunity to acquire and enjoy Morlet’s beautifully crafted wines at an outstanding value. |
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The estate-grown 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color, it charges forth with intense notes of crushed black cherries, black berry preserves and cassis scents with touches of spearmint, Indian spices, espresso and dried lavender plus a waft of roses. Full-bodied, the palate reveals incredible restraint, slowly revealing earth and black fruit layers framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and spicy. 750 cases produced, to be released in the fall of 2019.
96+ points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Oct 2018)
Moving to the top releases, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier comes from Knights Valley and was brought up in puncheons. A gorgeous bouquet of sandalwood, violets, loamy earth, and incense as well as some iron-laced black and blue fruits flow to a rounded, supple, incredibly textured Cabernet that has sweet tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It’s already terrific yet will keep for 20-25 years or more.
96 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Jun 2019)
The 2016 Mon Chevalier, from Luc and Jodie Morlet's Knights Valley property, is rich and powerful, yet also remains lights on its feet for such a big wine. Chocolate, spice, leather, black cherry, plum, and licorice add to the dark, virile personality. Still quite primary, Mon Chevalier has a ton of fruit intensity and fewer of the more savory notes that are typical of the appellation. The 2016 is built for cellaring, and it will need that time to shed baby fat and gain in aromatic complexity.
94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (May 2019)
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