2020 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay 'Ma Douce' Fort Ross-Seaview Sonoma Coast 750 ml

Luc Morlet’s 2020 'Ma Douce' is a masterpiece. Sourced from a Fort Ross-Seaview vineyard at 1,300–1,500 feet of elevation, barrel-fermented in 25% new French oak, it’s a gorgeous, vibrant Chardonnay that earned 96 points from former Wine Advocate chief Lisa Perrotti-Brown’s The Wine Independent. Robert Parker declared that a previous vintage of ‘Ma Douce’ reminds him of “a classic Bâtard Montrachet produced by Michel Niellon in the mid-1980s,” but what’s even more impressive is that ‘Ma Douce,’ over four vintages, has earned a staggering 4.8 rating from Wine Access members. Few Chardonnays can come close. 

Born into a winemaking family that goes back five generations in Champagne, Luc was stirring barrel-fermented Chardonnay when he was just a schoolboy. During his graduate studies, he interned at the prestigious Chanson Père et Fils in Beaune, and upon graduation he was mentored by Jacques Boissenot.   

Love for his American sweetheart brought Luc to California, where he quickly reached the top rung of the Chardonnay ladder, replacing John Kongsgaard at Newton. Later, as the winemaker for Peter Michael, he continued Helen Turley’s legacy and racked up over 30 wines rated 94–99 points from Wine Advocate in just five years. Then, 16 years ago, Luc turned his focus to Morlet Family Vineyards. His namesake winery now boasts more than 30 Advocate ratings of 98 points and higher.

'Ma Douce' comes from a prime vineyard in what’s known as the “True Sonoma Coast.” Sitting hillside on the second ridge in from the Pacific, the plot enjoys a mild and sunny mountain climate and cool maritime breezes, which imbue the wine with the sacred balance of ripeness and verve that defines world-class Chardonnay.