{"id":16813,"date":"2024-02-15T14:23:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T14:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewineindependent.com\/?post_type=article&p=16813"},"modified":"2024-02-15T14:23:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T14:23:20","slug":"morlet-family-vineyards-2020-21-and-22-releases","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/thewineindependent.com\/articles\/morlet-family-vineyards-2020-21-and-22-releases\/","title":{"rendered":"Morlet Family Vineyards\u2019 2020, 21 and 22 Releases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

2020, 2021, and 2022 are three very different vintages in Northern California, each with unique challenges. And yet Luc Morlet, an inventor at heart, has managed to avoid their pitfalls. Armed with considerable experience and his signature ingenuity, he\u2019s produced a hattrick of three highly recommended sets of vintage releases. I also tasted the forthcoming 10-years-on library releases, offering four beautifully evolved Napa 2014 Cabernets that are delicious to drink now.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \"\"\/\n

<\/figcaption>\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

Hattrick<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Luc Morlet grew up in Champagne. His family has been grape growers for four generations, so it\u2019s no surprise that he studied viticulture and winemaking at university. What was surprising was that he left France in 1996. But it was for the best possible reason\u2014to join his American wife Jodie in Napa, California. A decade later, he and Jodie founded their own label: Morlet Family Vineyards. In the beginning, they purchased fruit from well-known growers such as Andy Beckstoffer. Today, Luc and Jodie own three vineyards, all planted to Bordeaux varieties\u2014one in Sonoma and two in Napa Valley. They also maintain lease agreements with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sites in Sonoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMon Chevalier was the first vineyard that we bought,\u201d said Luc, referring to their seven-acre site in Knights Valley, Sonoma. \u201cWe planted this to Bordeaux varieties in 2008. The vines are at around 500-600 feet elevation, facing Peter Michael. This is the most Bordeaux-like of our vineyards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, Luc and Jodie were able to buy their family house, winery, and small vineyard of just a few acres in Saint Helena, off the Saint Helena Highway and very close to Colgin\u2019s Tychson Hill vineyard. This Morlet Estate vineyard was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 2007, half to a proprietary clone from Grace Family (said to originate from Chateau Margaux) and half to Clone 4. The first vintage was 2010. Here, they renovated their beautiful 19th-century stone winery, modernizing it into a gravity-fed production facility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \n \"\"\/\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Until 2018, the core of Morlet\u2019s Napa offerings came from Beckstoffer\u2019s To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. Purchasing fruit from this jewel of Napa wasn\u2019t cheap, but Luc wanted the best. Still, he couldn\u2019t help but envision owning a unique piece of Oakville one day. When a parcel of land across Highway 29 from To Kalon and a little further south came up for sale, he jumped at the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe little profit we\u2019d made at Morlet Family Vineyards went into buying our vineyard in Oakville,\u201d said Luc. \u201cWe called it Coeur de Vall\u00e9e\u2014Heart of the Valley. We bought that in 2015 and planted it the same year. It is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but a third of the property is planted to Cabernet Franc.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coeur de Vall\u00e9e is 24 acres, allowing Morlet Family Vineyards a significant presence in Napa. Production from this site came online in 2018, and from that year, they became 100% Estate-grown for the Cabernets. \u201cAs you know, Cabernet is very serious for us,\u201d Luc commented. \u201cI have loved Bordeaux from the beginning and have done two internships there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devoting a third of this vineyard to Cabernet Franc has as much to do with Luc\u2019s passion for this grape as having a unique vision for crafting what is right up there with the world\u2019s finest examples of this variety. \u201cCabernet Franc does very well on the clay-loam soil we have at Coeur de Vall\u00e9e,\u201d he mentioned. \u201cWe have planted Clone 1 here, which I love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the Bordeaux varieties wines (which includes a gorgeous Pessac-L\u00e9ognan-inspired dry white called \u201cLa Proportion Dor\u00e9e\u201d), Luc makes an impressive collection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from leased vineyards in Sonoma.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n

Morlet\u2019s Sonoma Chardonnays<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMa Douce is in Fort Ross-Seaview, close to Annapolis and Marcassin Vineyard, with its back to the ocean,\u201d Luc explained. \u201cIt comes from the coolest part of this vineyard, so it has an extended ripening period. It\u2019s mainly Old Wente clone selection. When I started, I thought the wine would be quite austere. But we are above the fog line here. At 1600 feet, we are surrounded by fog. We get a lot of UV light, although you get a cool breeze from the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Ma Princesse comes from Ritchie Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. \u201cIt is covered in fog in the mornings,\u201d said Luc. \u201cWe farm 2.5 acres on a front-facing section and another half-acre since 2017. It\u2019s all old vines there\u2014more than 35 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Coup de Coeur is a barrel selection containing a fair amount of Ritchie Vineyard with some Ma Douce vineyard. \u201cThis is more an exercise in crafting the best of the vintage,\u201d Luc explained.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n <\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n

Morlet\u2019s Sonoma Pinot Noirs<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All the Morlet Pinot Noirs come from the same Nobles Ranch site as Ma Douce, located in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. \u201cCoteaux Nobles is purely the site,\u201d said Luc. \u201cThis wine comes from 27-year-old vines planted at the Nobles Ranch vineyard, just below the Ma Douce blocks. My very first pick is the bottom of the block, but then the rest is my last pick. This is Pinot Fin clone, which behaves a little bit like Old Wente. These berries must be watched to make sure they don\u2019t fry.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

En Famille comes from a single block of this vineyard, facing southeast, closer to the Gualala River canyon. This is fermented entirely in used puncheons.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joli Coeur comes from the same ranch, from a block facing east. \u201cThis comes from the sweet spot within the Coteaux Nobles and En Famille vineyards in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA,\u201d said Morlet. \u201cThe topsoil is very thin here, and the clusters and berries are always smaller, meaning that the wine tends to be more intense.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWith the three Pinots, we don\u2019t pick three times; we pick 6 to 8 times.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A shout-out is also necessary for Morlet\u2019s Syrah creation\u2014Bouquet Garni. This is 100% Syrah made from three clones planted in a 20+-year-old vineyard in Sonoma\u2019s Bennett Valley. \u201cThis comes from three different blocks,\u201d said Luc. \u201c1.5 acres each. I pick them all at once and do a co-ferment. It\u2019s my last pick almost every year. It\u2019s a La Landonne style\u2014I like to work just with Syrah. It\u2019s all destemmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As for this upcoming trio of vintage releases, Morlet said, \u201c2020 was a very, very small bottling. We were meticulous in our approach\u2014blowing the leaves, blowing the berries, and hand washing. We did it like Christian Moueix. I felt really strongly about releasing this. There\u2019s no fining and no filtration.\u201d<\/p>\n

2021 was the drought period, but the advantage is that it never got too hot. I really enjoyed 2021. We had very small berries and loose clusters, which allowed for great intensity and concentration with wonderful acidic structure. It was a little like 2015, but not as hot. The ripeness was beautiful. These 2021s were bottled in February last year, so they have been in bottles for almost a year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2022 was another year of drought. Our yields were small\u2014a third down on average. We needed to be able to harvest within 24 hours, especially for Pinot. We picked at night and trucked the fruit to the winery in a refrigerated truck, which acts as a cold room.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Morlet Family Vineyards also has a library release program. This autumn, they will re-release four of the Bordeaux varieties red wines from the 2014 vintage: Mon Chevalier, Coeur de Vall\u00e9e, Morlet Estate, and Passionn\u00e9ment (a barrel selection). A great vintage in Napa Valley, the 2014s are now hitting their strides.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2013
Article & Reviews by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
Photography by Svante \u00d6rnberg<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See more work from Svante at svanteornberg.se<\/strong> by clicking here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \n \n \"alt=\"\/\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n

PRODUCERS IN THIS ARTICLE <\/h2>\n > Show all wines sorted by score<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n Morlet<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n
\n

More articles<\/h2>\n
\n
\n \n
\n
\n \"\" <\/div>\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n

Bordeaux 2023 Vintage Report and Reviews from Barrel<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n

09th May 2024<\/p>\n

649 tasting notes<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n

\n
\n \"\" <\/div>\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n

Cathiard Vineyard New Releases<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n

02nd May 2024<\/p>\n

3 tasting notes<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n

\n
\n \"\" <\/div>\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n

Bordeaux 2023 Preliminary Vintage Report and Reviews from Barrel<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n

29th Apr 2024<\/p>\n

56 tasting notes<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n

\n
\n \"\" <\/div>\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n

2021 Bordeaux in Bottle\u00a0and A Modest Proposal<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

\n

24th Apr 2024<\/p>\n

599 tasting notes<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n

\n
\n

Show all articles<\/p>\n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16816,"parent":0,"template":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMorlet Family Vineyards\u2019 2020, 21 and 22 Releases<\/title>\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n