Wine Advisor
Morlet, En Famille Pinot Noir 2017
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
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 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.
About the Producer
Beginning with the 2006 vintage, Luc & Jodie Morlet have been handcrafting vineyard designated wines and unique cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the Napa Valley as well as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, a Proprietary white Bordeaux-style blend and a Late Harvest Sémillon from Sonoma County. Meticulously farmed vineyards and low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful yet refined wines. By taking old world principles and adapting them to California, the Morlet style results in wines which are harmonious in their intensity, richness, complexity and refinement. The Morlet wines clearly display personality, seamless character and graceful ageing capability. The Morlet’s ‘Mon Chevalier’ vineyard is located on the hillsides of Knights Valley, overlooking the western slopes of Mount St. Helena. The vineyard benefits from its proximity to this majestic mountain. Luc and Jodie most recently planted their twenty-acre ‘Cœur de Vallée’ vineyard. These Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines are located on the world renowned Oakville Bench. All of the Morlet’s wines are handcrafted using classical winemaking techniques from Burgundy and Bordeaux and matured in only the finest 100% French oak barrels.
