2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur De Vallée

The 2019 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is a striking expression of Oakville terroir from the very heart of Napa Valley. Crafted predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc, it marries power, purity and elegance in a way that has captivated critics and collectors alike. With multiple 98-point scores (Jeb Dunnuck, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Colin Hay) and extremely limited production, this is a coveted bottle for serious Napa enthusiasts. Sourced from a single, gravel-rich vineyard in Oakville, ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is both a tribute to its site and to the classic, low-intervention techniques used by winemaker Luc Morlet. The wine draws its name—“Heart of the Valley”—from its central location and its role as a benchmark for Morlet’s terroir-driven style. Handcrafted and bottled unfiltered, it showcases the historical rise of Oakville as one of the world’s great Cabernet Sauvignon appellations, alongside luminaries such as Harlan, Bond, Promontory and Screaming Eagle.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2019 ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is deep, saturated ruby to opaque garnet, with an almost inky core and a vibrant, youthful rim that hints at its age-worthiness. The nose is immediately expressive and complex: layers of ripe red and black berries—think redcurrant, wild strawberry, black cherry and cassis—are interwoven with potpourri, rose petals and violet, supported by subtle notes of graphite, warm gravel, cedar and fine French oak. On the palate, the wine is rich, creamy and full-bodied yet remarkably poised, with that signature Morlet finesse. The tannins are exceptionally polished and velvety, lending structure without austerity. Flavors of ripe blackberry, black cherry and plum are lifted by floral tones and underpinned by earthy nuances—dried herbs, tobacco leaf, and a touch of cocoa and spice from 16 months in French oak. The finish is long, layered and precise, lingering with mineral freshness and perfumed fruit. While already alluring in its youth, this 2019 has the concentration, balance and tannin quality to age gracefully for 15–20 years or more in a proper cellar, gaining further complexity and tertiary nuances over time.

Production
The ‘Cœur de Vallée’ vineyard lies in Oakville, at the core of Napa Valley, where To Kalon Creek meanders through an estate planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This prized site sits on an alluvial fan at the base of the Mayacamas Range, with well-drained soils composed of 40–60% gravel mixed with clay, loam and sand—conditions that naturally limit vigor and concentrate flavor. The combination of warm days, cool nights and complex, stony soils produces small, intensely flavored berries and deeply structured wines. Grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, with rigorous selection in the vineyard and winery to ensure only the finest fruit makes it into the final blend (94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc). Morlet employs traditional, classical winemaking, favoring minimal intervention to let the terroir speak: gentle extraction, careful temperature control during fermentation and an unwavering focus on purity of fruit. The wine is then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, where it gains additional texture and aromatic complexity, before being bottled unfiltered and allowed further bottle aging. Production is extremely small, with only about 1,500 bottles produced and distribution handled via the prestigious Place de Bordeaux.

Food & Serving
This is a gastronomic Cabernet built for richly flavored dishes and refined dining. Pair it with dry-aged ribeye, lamb chops with rosemary and garlic, venison with a red wine reduction or slow-braised short ribs to mirror the wine’s depth and structure. It also shines with truffle-infused dishes, wild mushroom ragù, or aged hard cheeses such as Comté, Parmigiano Reggiano and matured cheddar. Serve at 16–18°C (60–65°F) to highlight both aromatics and texture. Given its youth and concentration, decanting is highly recommended: 1–2 hours in a broad decanter will help the bouquet unfurl and soften the tannins. For those opening it at peak maturity, a shorter decant of around 30–45 minutes will be sufficient to awaken the wine without diminishing its more delicate tertiary notes.

Producer
Morlet Family Vineyards is the personal project of Luc Morlet, a French-born winemaker who brought his Bordeaux and Champagne heritage to Napa Valley. Since establishing the estate, Morlet has become known for crafting limited-production, terroir-driven wines that blend Old World sensibility with New World intensity. Working closely with top vineyard sites in Napa and Sonoma, he focuses on meticulous farming and classical, low-intervention winemaking techniques. Within Napa, Morlet’s presence in Oakville places the winery among some of the region’s most revered names, and the estate has rapidly gained a reputation for producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc of exceptional finesse and longevity. Multiple high scores from leading critics and the rare honor of distribution through the Place de Bordeaux underscore the estate’s standing on the international stage. ‘Cœur de Vallée’ in particular has emerged as one of Morlet’s flagships—an articulate, collectible expression of Oakville’s “Heart of the Valley.”

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