2021 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur De Vallée
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How full and heavy the wine feels in your mouth, like the difference between skimmed milk and cream. More alcohol, sugar and oak ageing make a wine fuller.
The drying, grippy feel on your gums and tongue, as with strong tea. It comes from the skins and seeds of black grapes and from oak, and softens with age.
How much sugar you taste, from dry to sweet. Fruity is not the same as sweet: a dry wine can taste of ripe fruit.
How fresh and juicy the wine is: acidity makes your mouth water. High acidity tastes lively and refreshing, low acidity soft and round.
What we taste What you taste Click a taste for what it means
The bars follow how sommeliers taste (WSET): body, tannin, sweetness and acidity, each from low to high.
Body: powerful. Fuller than most red wines from ; 15.5% alcohol.
Tannin: tannic. From ; aged in oak.
Sweetness: dry. Red wine from is almost always dry.
Acidity: medium. from the warm climate of .
Aromas: dark fruit and green notes, typical of
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Log inThe 'Cœur de Vallée' vineyard is located in the world famous Oakville appellation, in the heart of the Napa Valley. The To Kalon Creek meanders through the spectacular estate, which is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The magnificent view of Mount Saint John is a reminder of the alluvial fan that created the well-drained soil, consisting of 40 to 60% gravel. It is the confluence of the amazing pedigree of surrounding properties and the alluvial material from the Mayacamas Range that makes this vineyard so special. This wine is handcrafted using classic winemaking techniques and is named after the vineyard's namesake. It is 'Heart of the Valley' or 'Cœur de Vallée'. An amazing wine with beautifully ripe fruit, great acidity and so wonderfully balanced.
The 2021 'Cœur de Vallée' is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (95%) Cabernet Franc (5%) from Oakville, Napa Valley. The wine is aged for 16 months in French oak barrels and is bottled unfiltered and then given bottle aging. This Morlet is distributed through the Place Du Bordeaux. Only around 1,500 bottles of these wines are ever made.
The stunning 2021 ‘Cœur de Vallée’ has a deep, vibrant purple colour and an intense aromatic profile of cassis, dark chocolate, black olives and candied fruit, combined with a complex bouquet of violets, wild sage and fresh tobacco leaves. Rich and concentrated, yet elegant and refined, this wine has a magnificent texture and an impressive sense of depth. The silky and lush tannins provide a striking softness, resulting in a seamless and powerful wine.
FACT: In the tab: Attachment you will find beautiful presentations about the winery and the winemaker, the awards and the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will often also receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.
A screaming good effort… flawlessly balanced and elegant” “The 2021 'Cœur de Vallée' is a screaming good effort displaying a rich, full-bodied, layered, and powerful style that somehow manages to stay flawlessly balanced and elegant. Jammy currants, dark chocolate, tobacco, black olive, and lead pencil shavings all define this remarkable 2021, which is deep purple-hued and has ripe, polished tannins and flawlessly integrated fruit, oak, tannins, and acidity. It deserves 4-5 years in the cellar and should hit full maturity a decade after the vintage. It will last for 30+ years. ” 98 points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, December 2023
“Wonderful freshness, with firm, plush tannins” “The 2021 'Cœur de Vallée' is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, the nose erupts with scents of boysenberry preserves and blackcurrant jelly leading to nuances of wild sage, violets, and underbrush plus a hint of tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate has wonderful freshness, with firm, plush tannins and bags of black fruit and mineral layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note ” 98 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, February 2024
About Oakville - Napa Valley
Oakville, located in the heart of the region, represents some of the greatest, most powerful wines in Napa Valley. It is this part of Napa Valley that has established itself as a leading producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in internationally recognized, award-winning wines. With equally powerful regions surrounding Oakville, including Rutherford, Yountville and St. Helena, the Oakville AVA has managed to produce world-class wines from its unique soils and perfect heat. With a distinct combination of clay, loam and sandy soils, the Oakville region has managed to produce highly complex and structured Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. It is these Bordeaux varietals that have brought several wineries into the international spotlight. One such winery is Screaming Eagle Winery, who has produced consistent expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon and was able to auction off one of their vintages for $500,000. This price tag has made it one of the most expensive wines in the world. In addition to the Screaming Eagle Winery, Oakville has several other wineries throughout the region such as Harlan, Bond, Promontory and Morlet.
Character
The wine
- 100%
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP (96-98)
Reviewed by:
Joe Czerwinski
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2023 - 2033
The prospective blend Morlet said was representative of the 2021 Chardonnay Coup de Coeur is another stunning effort, being simultaneously full-bodied and plush yet electric, with notes of grilled pineapple and pencil shavings underscored by vibrant acids and tremendous length on the finish.
Frenchman Luc Morlet and his Sacramento-born wife, Jodie, have become part of the Napa Valley firmament. Luc's winemaking resumé includes five years at Newton and five years at Peter Michael, where he has continued to consult since he and Jodie established Morlet Family Vineyards in 2006. Today, Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for approximately two-thirds of their production, coming from their own vineyards in Knights Valley, Oakville and Saint Helena. The Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Sonoma are based on per-acre lease arrangements, allowing Luc to manage the farming practices and yields in accordance with his own wishes.
This was a long, exciting visit, with up to three vintages of many of the wines tasted, although I have refrained from re-reviewing wines previously rated by my predecessor in the interest of saving a little time. My reviews of the current and forthcoming releases should give an indication of where I stand on those. Quality across the range is high, as are the prices, although not out of line with those being charged by other top-notch producers. Sad to say, $300 for great Napa Cabernet is more the norm than not in today's world, and one wonders if it will be viewed as a bargain sometime in the future.
Published: Mar 31, 2023
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Vinous
95+
Drinking Window
2026 - 2041
From: The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One (Dec 2023)
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée is a powerful, brooding wine. In most vintages, the Cœur de Vallée is an extrovert, but that is not at all the case in 2021. Blackberry jam, espresso, licorice, cloves and cedar emerge with air, but only with great reluctance. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2021 is an infant.
- By Antonio Galloni on December 2023
I tasted a wide range of wines with Luc Morlet this year. The 2021 Pinots, all from vineyards in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, are fine examples of this superb vintage. As always, the Pinots are done with fully destemmed fruit and see about 14 months in barrel. I was even more impressed with the 2020 Napa Valley wines, all of which are superb within the context of the year. Naturally, the 2021s are on another level. These days, Luc and Jodie Morlet’s wines offer plenty of the textural richness that has become such a signature, but with a little more verve in the past. The wines can be deceptive. They are quite appealing on release, but from what I have seen so far, that does not come at the expense of the wines’ ability to age.
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100/100
Colin Hay; The Drinks Business
100/100 punten
Morlet Coeur de Vallée 2021 (Oakville, Napa Valley; 95% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Cabernet Franc; 15.6% alcohol; aged 16 months in French oak, 85% of which was new; tasted in person with Luc Morley at the CVBG press tasting; essentially the last part of the Oakville Valley to be planted though historically vines had been grown there; a terroir of gravel on a very fine-grained loamy subsoil, the alluvial deposits washed down from the Kalon Creek; picked four rows at a time with a team of 8 at night; naturally fermented in 600-litre French oak puncheons; unfined and unfiltered). Such an impressive wine, above all in this excellent vintage. The 2020 was fabulous, especially given the context of a difficult vintage, this is as brilliant in the context of an exceptional vintage (not least as there is no hint here of the drought conditions that were the challenge of this year). For me, alongside Cristina’s Signature and the Peter Michael wines, this is the pick of the US releases on la place this year. And of those this is also perhaps the most Bordelais. Cedar. Black cherry, black currant, bramble, damson, a little walnut and coffee bean and perhaps a suggestion of fine first-press peppery olive oil. Violet, iris and iris bulb too. Pen ink. There’s staggering concentration here, and great density – the effect achieved by the wonderfully authentic Cabernet Sauvignon tannins whose fine granularity engages to fight with the external parameters of the palate, never allowing the wine to veer far from a supremely well-defined central spine. That might imply a wine that’s a bit severe. But that’s not at all the case here. For this is so silkily textured. The quality of the pixilating tannins is remarkable and that gives this an incredible clarity and crystallinity in the mid-palate for something with so much extract and concentration. And that, in turn, allows the fruit to dance and play, to glisten and glide, releasing sapidity and the Cabernet Franc’s herbal florality, above all with gentle aeration in the mouth. Exquisite already, but with the capacity to age glacially (this is more of a vin de garde than the more immediately accessible 2020). The length of my tasting note indicates my sheer enthusiasm. Joyous. 100.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
98/100 punten
The 2021 ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, the nose erupts with scents of boysenberry preserves and blackcurrant jelly leading to nuances of wild sage, violets, and underbrush plus a hint of tapenade. The medium to full-bodied palate has wonderful freshness, with firm, plush tannins and bags of black fruit and mineral layers, finishing on a lingering mineral note.
Jeb Dunnuck
98/100 punten
The 2021 ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is a screaming good effort displaying a rich, full-bodied, layered, and powerful style that somehow manages to stay flawlessly balanced and elegant. Jammy currants, dark chocolate, tobacco, black olive, and lead pencil shavings all define this remarkable 2021, which is deep purple-hued and has ripe, polished tannins and flawlessly integrated fruit, oak, tannins, and acidity. It deserves 4-5 years in the cellar and should hit full maturity a decade after the vintage. It will keep for 30+ years.
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Nestled in the picturesque St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley, you will find Morlet Family Vineyards. They blend Old World traditions with the vibrant spirit of California. Founded by Luc and Jodie Morlet, this family-owned winery is dedicated to crafting exceptional wines that showcase the unique terroir of the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast.
Luc Morlet, a fifth-generation winemaker from Epernay, France, carries with him a rich legacy of viticulture. Growing up amidst the vineyards of his family’s estate, Luc developed a profound appreciation for the nuances of winemaking. His academic journey, which included a Master's in Oenology and extensive training in renowned wine regions such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, laid the foundation for his expertise. When he arrived in California in 1996, Luc sought to adapt the sophisticated principles of French winemaking to the terroir of Napa Valley, resulting in wines that balance the American wine intensity with elegance.
At Morlet Family Vineyards, quality is paramount. The winery focuses on small yields and meticulous vineyard management, ensuring that each grape is hand-picked with care. By employing low-intervention winemaking techniques, Luc and Jodie create powerful yet refined wines that showcase the personality and complexity of their fruit.
One of the jewels of Morlet Family Vineyards is the estate itself, housed in a historic stone building dating back to 1880, once known as the Castner Winery. This charming estate, located just north of St. Helena, has been transformed into a vibrant winery, where the Morlet family dedicates themselves to the craft of winemaking. The surrounding vineyards, including the esteemed Cœur de Vallée and Mon Chevalier, benefit from the region's exceptional climate, producing varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.
Each bottle of Morlet wine tells a story—one of place, passion, and perseverance. The wines are crafted for graceful ageing, allowing them to evolve beautifully over time. They have gained acclaim and are frequently found on the tables of wine connoisseurs and collectors around the world.
Renowned wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. lauded Luc for his ability to infuse French savoir-faire into the intense fruit of California, championing the unique character that defines Morlet wines.
Deze indrukwekkende Cabernet toont geconcentreerde smaken van cassis en zwarte kers, donkere chocolade en espresso, met kruidige accenten van salie, ceder en viooltjes, stevige maar zijdezachte tannines en een lange, mineraalgestuurde afdronk. Omdat de wijn kracht en rijp fruit combineert met frisse zuurgraad en gestructureerde tannines, vormt hij een perfecte tegenhanger voor rijk rundvlees en lamsgerechten en snijdt hij door de vetheid van stoofschotels en barbecue; de tannines zetten mals vlees in het zonnetje terwijl de fruitigheid de sausaccenten versterkt. Bereidingen die extra goed werken zijn langzaam gegaarde stoofvleesstukken zoals short ribs of ossobuco, gegrilde of op de houtskool geroosterde steaks en lamsrack met een kruidige korst of gereduceerde pepermolasses- of tamarindsauzen.
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