Morlet Family Vineyards Coeur de Vallee Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
- wa97
- jd96
- v94
Category | Red Wine |
Varietals | |
Brand | Morlet Family Vineyards |
Origin | California, Napa Valley, Oakville |
Wine Advocate
- wa97
This is the last vintage when this wine will come exclusively from Beckstoffer's To Kalon vineyard. In the future it will come (more and more) from Morlet's own new vineyard in Oakville-just across from To Kalon. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee has a very deep purple-black color and reveals compelling notes of minted blackcurrants, black cherries and wild blueberries with touches of sage, cigar box, tilled black soil and Indian spices with a suggestion of cardamom. Full-bodied and laden with densely packed, muscular fruit, it has a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with those To Kalon spices lingering with fantastic persistence. 250 cases produced, to be released in the fall of 2019.
Jeb Dunnuck
- jd96
Lots of smoky black fruits, graphite, and mineral notes emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur De Valle, which comes from a mix of To Kalon and the Coeur de Vallee Vineyard and is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. It shows the more plush style of To Kalon and is one of the more approachable Cabernets in the lineup, offering full-bodied richness, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a plush, sexy mouthfeel. It still has enough underlying tannins to warrant a few years of bottle age, but it's going to drink beautifully for a solid two decades.
Vinous
- v94
The 2016 Coeur du Vallée emerges from Beckstoffer To Kalon. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice and spice develop in the glass, but only with great reluctance. Today, the Coeur du Vallée is the least expressive wine in this range. Time in bottle should do the trick, as the 2016 has tons of fruit that is dense, packed and waiting to one day finally emerge and show everything it has to offer.