Morlet, Coeur De Vallée - Napa Valley 2019

Jane Anson

96 / 100

byJane Ansonthe11/8/2022

Tasted in Bordeaux a few months ago, and it is once again strikingly successful, with floral freshness, dense but velvety tannins, run through with juicy acidity, pure and focused damson and bilberry fruit, chocolate, sage and slate. Concentrated but with momentum and grace. A wonderful vintage for this wine, so easy to recommend. Native yeast, unfined, unfiltered, 85% new oak, 600l oak casks for 2/3 of ageing, with the rest in stainless steel.

Anthocyanes

96 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe9/9/2022

Nez délicat et puissant de fruits noirs, de myrtille, de cerise noire, de cassis et de violette. Bouche juteuse et fraiche, une belle trame boisée, de la profondeur et une puissance contenue très intéressante. La finale est dédiée au clou de girofle, au réglisse et à la cerise noire. Très belle bouteille avec un vrai potentiel dans les années à venir (10 à 15 ans).

Decanter.com

96 / 100

byGeorgina Hindlethe8/24/2022

A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year, the 'heart of the valley' comes from a 10ha plot in Oakville, that overlooks Mount St. John in the Mayacamas Range and shares the same soil profile as the nearby To Kalon vineyard. Chocolate covered cherries and blackcurrants on the nose, really expressive and aromatic with elements of mocha and graphite. Deep and rich - so intense from the get go., sensual and seductive. A dense texture, smooth but deep is so impactful and really quite memorable, velvet and imposing in the mouth - it's the absolute signature of the estate. It's so charming, the flavours slowly expand from start to finish and side to side coating the tongue and cheeks in ripe red and black fruit, cocoa powder, sweet cinnamon and vanilla and a touch of toasted black pepper and liquorice spice. Round and generous but well delivered, feels purposeful and direct but still with excellent acidity giving a juicy and salivating quality to the wine as well as sweet spices that dot the palate. A lovely expression that is layered vertically giving energy and definition. Lifted, bright and finessed. The definition really lingers, not too heavy yet delivering so much flavour. An excellent wine by Luc Morlet. The second vintage of this wine. Ageing 16 months in French oak barrels.

The Wine Independent

98 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe8/17/2022

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee is deep garnet-purple colored. It gallops out with expressive notions of warm cassis, blackberry pie, and blueberry preserves, followed by hints of cedar chest, tilled soil, bay leaves, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is taut, with a nice combination of bright crunchy black fruits and juicy blue fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral-laced. The Coeur de Vallee vineyard is in Oakville, just across the road from To Kalon, and is planted entirely to clone 4 with a small amount of Cabernet Franc (clone 1), which does well on the clay-loam soil. The 2019 blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. 1300 cases were made.

Jane Anson

95 / 100

byJane Ansonthe7/19/2022

I have long been a fan of this wine, and am happy to see it getting a wider distribution. An excellent example of dense but soft tannins, billowy, brushed velvet, beautifully bright and sappy damson and black cherry fruits, gentle cocoa bean, white pepper and sage spices. Fragrant floral edges, well integrated oak, clear freshness. Luc Morlet is one of the more restrained winemakers in Napa, and you see his European sensibilities with this wine, as you often do with the Morlet range of multiple single-plot vineyards. Picked in small crates of 10kilos, arriving to the cellar by 7am in the morning. Delicate but expansive, elegant, clear precision. I rarely say this, but you truly can't feel the high alcohols (drinking at a slightly cool temperature helps). 600l oak casks for 2/3 of ageing, with the rest in stainless steel. This is their biggest site in terms of production, around 10ha of their own vines in Oakville, with the estate crossed by To Kalon creek, planted to Cabernet Franc (2 blocks) and Cabernet Sauvingon (4 blocks), currently bottling around half of it to the Coeur de Vallée bottling. Great stuff.

Jeb DUNNUCK

98 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2022

Mostly Clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon with 6% Cabernet Franc, all from a site next to To Kalon, the 2019 ‘Coeur de Vallée’ offers lots of darker currant and black cherry fruits as well as notes of cedary spice, new leather, and dried herbs. These carry to a full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly complex Oakville Cabernet with sweet tannins, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. Drink it over the coming 20-25 years.

Vinous

95 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe10/1/2021

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée is soft, racy and gracious. It presents gorgeous savory aromatics to play off its mid-weight structure and understated personality. Black cherry, mocha, leather, spice and menthol grace this understated Cabernet. This soft, open-knit Cabernet is already quite accessible and delicious.