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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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Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2019 Pinot Noir Joli Coeur needs a little coaxing to bring out notes of crushed blackberries, Morello cherries, pomegranate, and potpourri with wafts of pencil lead and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit and cherry preserves layers, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and minerally. This comes from the “sweet spot” within the Coteaux Nobles and En Famille vineyards in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. The topsoil is very thin here and the clusters and berries are always smaller, meaning that the wine tends to be more intense. 430 cases were made.
98 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Aug 2022)
Also brilliant, the 2019 Pinot Noir Joli Coeur is wonderfully complex, with loads of black raspberry, strawberry, spice box, scorched earth, bouquet garni, and sappy flower-like aromas and flavors. I always find this cuvée to be the most seamless and balanced in the lineup, and the 2019 is no exception, offering medium to full-bodied richness, flawless integration of its tannins, acidity, and fruit, a great mid-palate, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It needs air to show at its best today and will be even better with a year or two of bottle age and keep through 2031.
97 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Dec 2021)
The 2019 Pinot Noir Joli Cœur is the most savory of these wines. Dried leaves, crushed flowers, leather, earthiness and crushed rocks give the 2019 a complex profile that is super-appealing. Deceptive in its mid-weight personality, the 2019 packs a pretty big punch to play off all that complexity.
96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jan 2022)
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