Beginning with the 2006 vintage, Luc & Jodie Morlet have been handcrafting vins de terroir and unique cuvées of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from their estate vineyards in Napa Valley as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. The sought-after portfolio also includes a Pessac-Léognan-inspired white Bordeaux-style blend 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. It is this notion of harmony that inspired their logo, based upon 19th century French artist Mathurin Moreau’s sculpture entitled, ‘Harmonie.’ The Morlet wines clearly display personality, seamless character and graceful aging capability
Luc and Jodie restored a pre-Prohibition winery, built in 1880, as a gravity-flow winemaking facility. The historic estate is just north of the charming town of St. Helena. This 6-acre hillside vineyard supplies the premium Cabernet Sauvignon for their ‘Morlet Estate’ label, designated as the prestigious St. Helena Appellation. The highly acclaimed ‘Force de la Nature’ and ‘Cœur de Vallée’ wines hail from Luc and Jodie’s Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, situated in the world-renowned Oakville appellation and bordering the To Kalon Creek
On the foothills facing the western slopes of Mount St. Helena, Luc and Jodie’s Knights Valley vineyard provides the fruit for their ‘Mon Chevalier’ Cabernet Sauvignon. The warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the five Bordeaux varietals. In addition to their family-owned vineyards, they also direct the farming under long-term contracts on vineyards located in the Russian River Valley, Bennett Valley, Alexander Valley and Fort Ross-Seaview on the Sonoma Coast.
Aged exclusively in French oak barrels from selected artisan coopers, the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. 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 ever produced.
Luc and Jodie also import ‘Pierre Morlet Champagnes’ which have been handcrafted by Luc’s family in France for five generations. Named after Luc’s grandfather, these award-winning Champagnes come solely from the designations of either Grands Crus or Premiers Crus. The deep, chalky subsoil and temperate microclimates of these hillside vineyards provide wonderful growing conditions for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. A rarity in Champagne, the tradition of barrel fermenting and aging continues to be honored, adding complexity and uniqueness to the wines. The multi-vintage ‘Grande Réserve’ and ‘Rosé’ as well as the vintaged ‘Millésime’ are available by contacting the winery in St. Helena.
Morlet Family Vineyards Mon Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Cabernet Franc .
Located on the hillsides of Knights Valley, near Calistoga, this vineyard benefits from its proximity to Mount St. Helena, whose warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the Bordeaux red varietals. Handcrafted by using classical winemaking techniques, this special wine is dedicated to our son, Paul Morlet.
Dark red with a hue of purple. Intense and complex bouquet of red, black and blue berries intermixed with notes of blueberries, minerals (graphite, wet river rocks) licorice, fresh blond tobacco and a hint of lavender. Full bodied, the palate is reminiscent of the nose, with a richly tannic yet round frame and a great intensity. The hillside tannins and the classical aromatic complexity create a harmonious ensemble, leading to a very long and elegant finish. Built to age for decades, this collectible wine opens up after a few years of cellaring and is particularly representative of this special vineyard from the hillside of Knights Valley. Mon Chevalier features the interaction of the loamy, well drained and rocky volcanic soil, the typical sunny mountain climate and the low-interventionistic Morlet winemaking approach.
Propietary Name Mon Chevalier
Name Meaning My Knight Named after our son, Paul Morlet
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Knights Valley
Vineyard singularity Morlet Family Estate Hillside 1100-1200 feet elevation Rhyolitic, loam & volcanic ash
Typical harvest date End of October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster, berry per berry
Fermentation Through native yeast Tank and Puncheons
Upbringing 16 months French oak from artisan coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time Decades
Serving Room temperature
Decanting recommended
Review:
The 2017 'Mon Chevalier' is rich, deep and unctuous, with all the character that makes wines from this site so exciting. Graphite, inky blue/purplish fruit, spice and lavender infuse the 2017 with tremendous complexity. In the glass, the 2017 is savory, rich and expansive, not to mention hugely appealing.
-Vinous 96 Points
Morlet Family Vineyards Mon Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Cabernet Sauvignon (86%) Cabernet Franc (8%) Merlot (3%) Malbec (2%) Petit Verdot (1%) .
Located on the hillsides of Knights Valley, near Calistoga, this vineyard benefits from its proximity to Mount St. Helena, whose warm and windy climate is ideal for the long ripening of the Bordeaux red varietals. Handcrafted by using classical winemaking techniques, this special wine is dedicated to our son, Paul Morlet.
Dark red with a hue of purple. Intense and complex bouquet of red, black and blue berries intermixed with notes of blueberries, minerals (graphite, wet river rocks) licorice, fresh blond tobacco and a hint of lavender. Full bodied, the palate is reminiscent of the nose, with a richly tannic yet round frame and a great intensity. The hillside tannins and the classical aromatic complexity create a harmonious ensemble, leading to a very long and elegant finish. Built to age for decades, this collectible wine opens up after a few years of cellaring and is particularly representative of this special vineyard from the hillside of Knights Valley. Mon Chevalier features the interaction of the loamy, well drained and rocky volcanic soil, the typical sunny mountain climate and the low-interventionistic Morlet winemaking approach.
Property Name: Mon Chevalier
Name Meaning My Knight Named after our son, Paul Morlet
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Knights Valley
Vineyard singularity Morlet Family Estate Hillside 1100-1200 feet elevation Rhyolitic, loam & volcanic ash
Typical harvest date End of October
Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck
Sorting Cluster by cluster, berry per berry
Fermentation Through native yeast Tank and Puncheons
Upbringing 16 months French oak from artisan coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time Decades
Serving Room temperature
Decanting recommended
Review:
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier comes from the Knights Valley, just north of Napa Valley in the larger Sonoma County, and it always seems to me to have one foot in Napa and one foot in Sonoma. Boasting a similar ruby/purple color (as do all of the releases here), it’s slightly more reserved and stately (knightly, if you will), with building aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, toasted bread, dried violets, baking spices, and loamy earth. These carry to a pure, full-bodied, multi-dimensional Cabernet that’s flawlessly balanced, has ripe yet certainly present tannins, a notable sense of minerality, and a great, great finish. It’s just another incredible wine from Luc Morlet that can be drunk today with ample pleasure or cellared for 20-30 years if, for some reason, you feel the need to delay gratification.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
Pago de Carraovejas Cuesta Liebres is made from 100% Tinto Fino. The plot is located on a terraced hillside located at 900 m above sea level with slopes that range between inclines of 30% and 40%. Red cherry color with purple hues. Ripe fruit aromas, vanilla notes. Suave and unctuous in the mouth. A strong and noble character.
The harvest is carried out by hand using small crates and after passing through a refrigerated container it is transferred into tanks via gravity. The alcoholic and malolatic fermentation is carried out in small French “Haute Futaie” Oak casks with unique and original local yeasts and fermenting bacteria from the vineyard itself, to bring out the very best of the terroir, respecting the uniqueness of each and every vintage. Clarified with egg whites and bottled by gravity with natural cork stoppers.
Pago de Carraovejas Cuesta de las Liebres 2019 is a red wine that masterfully blends finesse with a robust flavor profile. Upon olfaction, it unveils a complex array of nuances, with blueberries and blackberries taking center stage, complemented by undertones of sweet spices and hints of graphite and chocolate. On the palate, it is rich and full-bodied. This red wine boasts silky tannins, an extensive and enduring finish, and the exquisite signature of an outstanding vintage.
Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Strung between serene beaches, sculpted coves and wild, rugged mountains, the coastline of South Africa stretches for thousands of miles from east to the west. Drawn to its wild beauty, many a leisure adventurers discover the pristine serenity of unnamed, secluded bays to claim as their own.
Elton Bay Sauvignon Blanc offers tropical fruit and delicate pear drop aromatics with subtle green notes and a hint of minerality on a refreshing, crisp finish.