2021 Morlet Family Vineyards Ma Douce Chardonnay
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| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | |
| Appellation | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2025 - 2036 |
| Available as of | Feb 6, 2026 |
In stock
12 items available
Backorder Information
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Description
“Ma Douce reminds me of a classic Bâtard-Montrachet produced by Michel Niellon in the mid-1980s.” Robert Parker
Nestled in picturesque St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley, you'll find Morlet Family Vineyards. They combine 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 Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast.
The Morlets combine Old World principles with Californian terroir. The winery focuses on small yields and meticulous vineyard management, ensuring each grape is carefully hand-picked. Using low-intervention winemaking techniques, Luc and Jodie create powerful yet refined wines that showcase the personality and complexity of their fruit.
Winemaker's notes: The cool maritime breeze and mild and sunny mountain climate create ideal conditions for this hillside vineyard located on the second ridge from the Pacific Ocean. Handcrafted using classical Burgundian winemaking techniques, this wine is dedicated to Jodie Morlet. It is 'My Sweet' or 'Ma Douce.'
This Chardonnay from Morlet Family Vineyards is complex and rich with a strong mineral backbone. On the nose, you'll find notes of lemon candy, crème brûlée, and orange peel intermingled with strong hints of fresh hazelnut. Ma Douce has a creamy texture and a very long, mineral finish. This wine is designed to age gracefully for a decade, but can also be enjoyed now.
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
About Oakville - Napa Valley
Oakville, located in the heart of the region, represents some of Napa Valley's greatest, most powerful wines. 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 succeeded in producing world-class wines from its unique soil and perfect heat. With a distinct combination of clay, loam, and sandy soils, the Oakville region has succeeded in producing 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 to the international spotlight. One such winery is Screaming Eagle Winery, which has produced consistent expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon and was able to auction one of its vintages for $500,000. This price tag has made it one of the most expensive wines in the world. Besides the Screaming Eagle Winery, Oakville boasts several other wineries throughout the region, including Harlan, Bond, Promontory, and Morlet.
Specifications
| Available as of | Feb 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Icons | Icon USA |
| Winery | Morlet Family Vineyards |
| Grape | Chardonnay |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2036 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Promotion | En Primeur |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| James Suckling rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Joe Czerwinski
Release Price:
$125
Drink Date:
2024 - 2028
From a vineyard in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA planted on Goldridge soils above the fog line, the 2021 Chardonnay Ma Douce is wonderfully expressive, with compelling notes of toasted grain and roasted pineapple joined by melon and peach. It's full-bodied and silky, with a soft, plush mouthfeel, making it broad and expansive in the mouth, but it has a bright, lingering finish that provides balance and beckons you to take another sip.
Luc Morlet and I began our visit by meeting at his Coeur du Vallée vineyard in Oakville. The 24 acres, which Morlet purchased in 2015, stretch from Highway 29 down to the Napa River, traversed at an angle by To Kalon Creek. While the land had a history of grape cultivation—Morlet said he has records of Zinfandel and Riesling being grown there in the 1880s—in 2015, the land was unplanted, so Morlet was able to develop it as he saw fit. There's a 2% grade from the road down to the river, gravelly bale loam soils across Blocks A–D, with silty loams closer to the river in Blocks E and F. No herbicides are used, with only mechanical cultivation used for weed control; a winter cover crop of clover adds nitrogen; and Morlet's team also applies organic compost annually.
Vine spacing is reasonably tight by Napa standards, at 1 x 1.8 meters. Because of his experience working with Beckstoffer To Kalon fruit, Morlet opted to plant Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4 and Cabernet Franc Clone 1; and rootstocks are 101-114 away from the river and Riparia Gloire in the heavier soils. One acre has been left as "The Grove," at the former homesite, with numerous trees and a raised deck.
From there, our visit proceeded to Morlet's winery and tasting room in northern Saint Helena for something of a marathon tasting of the 40-plus wines reviewed in this report, including an exhilarating vertical of Morlet's Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee in which the only blemish was a corked bottle of the 2015. As readers review those notes, keep in mind that not only did the grape sourcing undergo a huge change—from Beckstoffer To Kalon in 2007–2016 to Morlet's own Oakville vineyard in 2018–present, with 2017 including fruit from both sites—but Morlet didn't make the wine in his own facility until 2012. Prior to that, the wine was made at Chateau Boswell (2007–2010) and Vineyard 7&8 (2008–2011).
"We started the winery in 2006, but we couldn't afford Cabernet that vintage," said Morlet. In 2007, Morlet persuaded Andy Beckstoffer to sell him Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from To Kalon. "Andy gave me a half row of Block F, Row 32, because I said I wouldn't take the Cab without some Franc," said Morlet. As a result, for many vintages, the blend remained roughly three-fourths Cabernet Sauvignon and one-fourth Cabernet Franc. The highest proportion of Cabernet Franc came in 2011, which is 45% Cabernet Franc. More recent vintages include less Franc, which now averages about 5% or 6% of the blend.
Les Petits Morlet—a relative bargain for the quality—is what Morlet calls his second label. "It's a truly second wine—young blocks or things that don't fit into the regular bottlings," he said.
In 2020, his vineyards weren't affected by the LNU complex fires, said Morlet, but they did lose about 25% of the Bordeaux reds to Glass Fire smoke.
Morlet claims to eschew acid additions—"Freshness is the backbone for aging, not just acidity," he said—and yeast nutrients, citing that as a reason he doesn't like to have cover crop during the growing season. "They compete for nitrogen," he said.
Don't overlook Morlet's Bordeaux-inspired whites based on Sauvignon Blanc (Les Petits Morlet) and Sémillon (La Proportion Dorée). These barrel-fermented wines, one pure Sauvignon Blanc and the other generally two-thirds Sémillon and one-third Sauvignon Blanc, with a splash of Muscadelle, are terrific white wines that can compete with the best white Bordeaux. In particular, the La Proportion Dorée is meant to improve over several years in the cellar; the 2019 is slated to be rereleased as a library wine this fall.
Looking at the latest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Sonoma, all the 2022 Chardonnays are a bit hazy in appearance, but Morlet says they will further settle and clarify in bottle. In any event, it's purely cosmetic, as the wines are up to their usual high standard. Yields were down by about 30% in the Chardonnay, said Morlet, and even more (about 50%) in the Pinot Noir. As for 2021, Morlet called it an impeccable growing season.
For the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Morlet is working with five- to seven-year leases, purchasing fruit by the acre. Once at the winery, there's only native ferments and no fining or filtration. He does use sulfur, what he said is "a small amount."
Future plans include becoming fully estate by purchasing land in Sonoma for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and starting Champagne production in Aÿ, where his family originates. The energetic Morlet isn't letting any grass grow underfoot, that's for sure.
Published: Oct 17, 2024
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
96
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 149
Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma County Fort Ross-SeaView Ma Douce 2021
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025
Color
White
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2021
Download Shelftalker
A seamless, silky feel and luxurious fruit flavors grab your attention in this full-bodied yet balanced wine. Delicious flavors of white peaches, poached pears, toasted almonds, minerals and vanilla bean. Almost sweet, as the name indicates. An incredibly long, lingering finish. Drink now or hold.
Jim Gordon
Executive Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2036
From: The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One (Dec 2023)
The 2021 Chardonnay Ma Douce marries power and tension. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and crushed rocks all race across the palate. This taut Fort Ross-Seaview Chardonnay captures all the magic of the West Sonoma Coast in the richer style that is a house signature. I would give this a year or two to come together a bit more fully.
- 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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
96 | 96
96
The Wine Independent
Bottled in March 2022, the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce kicks off with gregarious notes of creme caramel, baked pears, and passion fruit, plus suggestions of cedar chest and spice cake. The medium to full-bodied palate has a spritely backbone of acidity cutting through the rich, oily fruit, finishing long and opulent. Ma Douce comes from a vineyard at 1300-1500 feet elevation in Fort Ross-Seaview, not far from Marcassin Vineyard, planted mainly to the Old Wente clone selection. 500 cases were made.
96
Jeb Dunnuck
(94-96 points) Lots of white peach, quince, white flower, and green almond notes emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce, a full-bodied barrel sample with beautiful depth as well as freshness.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Wijnhuis
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.
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“Ma Douce reminds me of a classic Bâtard-Montrachet produced by Michel Niellon in the mid-1980s.” Robert Parker
Nestled in picturesque St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley, you'll find Morlet Family Vineyards. They combine 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 Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast.
The Morlets combine Old World principles with Californian terroir. The winery focuses on small yields and meticulous vineyard management, ensuring each grape is carefully hand-picked. Using low-intervention winemaking techniques, Luc and Jodie create powerful yet refined wines that showcase the personality and complexity of their fruit.
Winemaker's notes: The cool maritime breeze and mild and sunny mountain climate create ideal conditions for this hillside vineyard located on the second ridge from the Pacific Ocean. Handcrafted using classical Burgundian winemaking techniques, this wine is dedicated to Jodie Morlet. It is 'My Sweet' or 'Ma Douce.'
This Chardonnay from Morlet Family Vineyards is complex and rich with a strong mineral backbone. On the nose, you'll find notes of lemon candy, crème brûlée, and orange peel intermingled with strong hints of fresh hazelnut. Ma Douce has a creamy texture and a very long, mineral finish. This wine is designed to age gracefully for a decade, but can also be enjoyed now.
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
About Oakville - Napa Valley
Oakville, located in the heart of the region, represents some of Napa Valley's greatest, most powerful wines. 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 succeeded in producing world-class wines from its unique soil and perfect heat. With a distinct combination of clay, loam, and sandy soils, the Oakville region has succeeded in producing 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 to the international spotlight. One such winery is Screaming Eagle Winery, which has produced consistent expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon and was able to auction one of its vintages for $500,000. This price tag has made it one of the most expensive wines in the world. Besides the Screaming Eagle Winery, Oakville boasts several other wineries throughout the region, including Harlan, Bond, Promontory, and Morlet.
| Available as of | Feb 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Icons | Icon USA |
| Winery | Morlet Family Vineyards |
| Grape | Chardonnay |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2036 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Promotion | En Primeur |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| James Suckling rating | 96 |
| Vinous rating | 96 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Joe Czerwinski
Release Price:
$125
Drink Date:
2024 - 2028
From a vineyard in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA planted on Goldridge soils above the fog line, the 2021 Chardonnay Ma Douce is wonderfully expressive, with compelling notes of toasted grain and roasted pineapple joined by melon and peach. It's full-bodied and silky, with a soft, plush mouthfeel, making it broad and expansive in the mouth, but it has a bright, lingering finish that provides balance and beckons you to take another sip.
Luc Morlet and I began our visit by meeting at his Coeur du Vallée vineyard in Oakville. The 24 acres, which Morlet purchased in 2015, stretch from Highway 29 down to the Napa River, traversed at an angle by To Kalon Creek. While the land had a history of grape cultivation—Morlet said he has records of Zinfandel and Riesling being grown there in the 1880s—in 2015, the land was unplanted, so Morlet was able to develop it as he saw fit. There's a 2% grade from the road down to the river, gravelly bale loam soils across Blocks A–D, with silty loams closer to the river in Blocks E and F. No herbicides are used, with only mechanical cultivation used for weed control; a winter cover crop of clover adds nitrogen; and Morlet's team also applies organic compost annually.
Vine spacing is reasonably tight by Napa standards, at 1 x 1.8 meters. Because of his experience working with Beckstoffer To Kalon fruit, Morlet opted to plant Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4 and Cabernet Franc Clone 1; and rootstocks are 101-114 away from the river and Riparia Gloire in the heavier soils. One acre has been left as "The Grove," at the former homesite, with numerous trees and a raised deck.
From there, our visit proceeded to Morlet's winery and tasting room in northern Saint Helena for something of a marathon tasting of the 40-plus wines reviewed in this report, including an exhilarating vertical of Morlet's Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee in which the only blemish was a corked bottle of the 2015. As readers review those notes, keep in mind that not only did the grape sourcing undergo a huge change—from Beckstoffer To Kalon in 2007–2016 to Morlet's own Oakville vineyard in 2018–present, with 2017 including fruit from both sites—but Morlet didn't make the wine in his own facility until 2012. Prior to that, the wine was made at Chateau Boswell (2007–2010) and Vineyard 7&8 (2008–2011).
"We started the winery in 2006, but we couldn't afford Cabernet that vintage," said Morlet. In 2007, Morlet persuaded Andy Beckstoffer to sell him Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from To Kalon. "Andy gave me a half row of Block F, Row 32, because I said I wouldn't take the Cab without some Franc," said Morlet. As a result, for many vintages, the blend remained roughly three-fourths Cabernet Sauvignon and one-fourth Cabernet Franc. The highest proportion of Cabernet Franc came in 2011, which is 45% Cabernet Franc. More recent vintages include less Franc, which now averages about 5% or 6% of the blend.
Les Petits Morlet—a relative bargain for the quality—is what Morlet calls his second label. "It's a truly second wine—young blocks or things that don't fit into the regular bottlings," he said.
In 2020, his vineyards weren't affected by the LNU complex fires, said Morlet, but they did lose about 25% of the Bordeaux reds to Glass Fire smoke.
Morlet claims to eschew acid additions—"Freshness is the backbone for aging, not just acidity," he said—and yeast nutrients, citing that as a reason he doesn't like to have cover crop during the growing season. "They compete for nitrogen," he said.
Don't overlook Morlet's Bordeaux-inspired whites based on Sauvignon Blanc (Les Petits Morlet) and Sémillon (La Proportion Dorée). These barrel-fermented wines, one pure Sauvignon Blanc and the other generally two-thirds Sémillon and one-third Sauvignon Blanc, with a splash of Muscadelle, are terrific white wines that can compete with the best white Bordeaux. In particular, the La Proportion Dorée is meant to improve over several years in the cellar; the 2019 is slated to be rereleased as a library wine this fall.
Looking at the latest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Sonoma, all the 2022 Chardonnays are a bit hazy in appearance, but Morlet says they will further settle and clarify in bottle. In any event, it's purely cosmetic, as the wines are up to their usual high standard. Yields were down by about 30% in the Chardonnay, said Morlet, and even more (about 50%) in the Pinot Noir. As for 2021, Morlet called it an impeccable growing season.
For the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Morlet is working with five- to seven-year leases, purchasing fruit by the acre. Once at the winery, there's only native ferments and no fining or filtration. He does use sulfur, what he said is "a small amount."
Future plans include becoming fully estate by purchasing land in Sonoma for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and starting Champagne production in Aÿ, where his family originates. The energetic Morlet isn't letting any grass grow underfoot, that's for sure.
Published: Oct 17, 2024
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
96
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 149
Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma County Fort Ross-SeaView Ma Douce 2021
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025
Color
White
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2021
Download Shelftalker
A seamless, silky feel and luxurious fruit flavors grab your attention in this full-bodied yet balanced wine. Delicious flavors of white peaches, poached pears, toasted almonds, minerals and vanilla bean. Almost sweet, as the name indicates. An incredibly long, lingering finish. Drink now or hold.
Jim Gordon
Executive Editor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
96
Drinking Window
2025 - 2036
From: The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One (Dec 2023)
The 2021 Chardonnay Ma Douce marries power and tension. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and crushed rocks all race across the palate. This taut Fort Ross-Seaview Chardonnay captures all the magic of the West Sonoma Coast in the richer style that is a house signature. I would give this a year or two to come together a bit more fully.
- 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.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
96 | 96
96
The Wine Independent
Bottled in March 2022, the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce kicks off with gregarious notes of creme caramel, baked pears, and passion fruit, plus suggestions of cedar chest and spice cake. The medium to full-bodied palate has a spritely backbone of acidity cutting through the rich, oily fruit, finishing long and opulent. Ma Douce comes from a vineyard at 1300-1500 feet elevation in Fort Ross-Seaview, not far from Marcassin Vineyard, planted mainly to the Old Wente clone selection. 500 cases were made.
96
Jeb Dunnuck
(94-96 points) Lots of white peach, quince, white flower, and green almond notes emerge from the 2020 Chardonnay Ma Douce, a full-bodied barrel sample with beautiful depth as well as freshness.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
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.
Wine Trivia
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Sign in to unlock fascinating facts about this wine and expand your knowledge.
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