Morlet Family VineyardsCœur de Vallée OWC6 2018

All four of the flagship Cabernets from Morlet are absolutely world class. Starting out, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee comes from To Kalon, which was a vineyard that excelled in 2018. Revealing a dense ruby/purple color as well as a flat-out awesome nose of crème de cassis, black raspberries, flowery incense, dried tobacco, and classy new leather, this carries to a full-bodied, opulent, seamless 2018 with incredible tannins, flawless balance, and a blockbuster of a finish. It’s classic To Kalon with it’s rich, powerful, yet weightless style. While unquestionably very different wines, I kept thinking of a great 1982 Bordeaux while tasting this beauty, as those show a similar level of class, richness, and balance. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 2-3 decades. This is the finest vintage I’ve tasted for this cuvée.

This marks the first vintage of this wine made entirely from the Morlet family’s own site, located across the road from To Kalon and just south of the Beckstoffer To Kalon blocks. Sourced from the third leaf of this vineyard, the wine is beautifully fragrant, sophisticated, stylish, and polished. It is wonderfully expressive and features vibrant and pliant tannins nuanced by red- and black-toned saline-ripe fruit layered with green tobacco. You’d be hard-pressed to believe this wine does not come from Beckstoffer To Kalon but rather from the Morlet family’s 10.11-hectare property, acquired in 2015. With the To Kalon Creek running through it and its location just south of the Beckstoffer site, Morlet describes this low-vigour vineyard as consisting of 40–60% well-draining gravel, planted with two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Cabernet Franc on Bale series soil, which is similar to To Kalon.

The first vintage to come entirely from Morlet's own vineyard, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee features loads of mixed red and blue fruit. A blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc, it's full-bodied and plush yet nicely balanced and bright, with fine freshness and verve, framed by soft tannins. Perhaps it's a touch less concentrated than some other vintages, but it's absolutely charming and delicious.