Morlet 2017 'En Famille' Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview

98 Points                                                         

Morlet makes some of the most coveted wines in Sonoma and all of California. These are some of the top-scoring wines of the vintage. Limited.

98 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "More black fruits, smoked earth, baking spices, and earthy, saddle leather notes emerge from the Morlet 2017 Pinot Noir En Famille, which comes from a warmer, south-facing vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview region. This ripe, powerful, full-bodied Pinot Noir has an incredible texture and a huge core of fruit, yet it stays balanced, pure, and elegant, with plenty of tannic structure. Give bottles a year or two."

96 Points Robert Parker: "The En Famille Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard planted in 1990, right next door to the “Coteaux Nobles” vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview vineyard. Medium ruby-purple colored, the Morlet 2017 Pinot Noir En Famille delivers quite serious scents of tobacco and new leather over a core of black raspberries, black cherries and kirsch with hints of dried herbs, tilled soil and red roses plus a waft of fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is fantastically fresh and delicately played, featuring grainy tannins to frame the energetic fruit, finishing long with a provocative ferrous note. 300 cases were made."

In St. Helena, the heart of the Napa Valley, Luc and Jodie Morlet handcraft vins de terroirs and unique cuvées from the surrounding Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast. Meticulously farmed vineyards and low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful yet refined wines displaying personality, complexity and graceful aging capability. By taking Old World principles and adapting them to California, the Morlet style results in wines which are harmonious in their intensity, richness and refinement. Unwavering commitment to quality leads to small yields, attentive sorting, and the highest standard when blending. Thus, a very limited amount of each wine is produced.