Auction rarity from Napa Cab legend
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2021 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Le Fabuleaux Franc Napa Valley 750 ml
| $575 | per bottle | |
100-point winemaker Luc Morlet is a master of Cabernet Franc, and singled out this one barrel as clearly exceptional, a wine to stand on its own. His 2021 flagship Force de la Nature Cab Franc—the blend from which this barrel was withheld—earned a flawless 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck, who called it “pure perfection and one of the finest examples of this variety I've ever tasted.” It raises the question: Can a wine be better than perfect? We couldn’t help joking that Luc’s 2021 Force de la Nature might have scored 101 points if it included this transcendent barrel.
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Better than Perfect?
Premiere Napa Valley is where you’ll find THE most exclusive and painstakingly made wines in Napa Valley, one-of-one rarities. And Luc Morlet’s 2021 Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Le Fabuleaux Franc is one of the most spectacular wines we’ve encountered at this iconic event.
Luc, known for his dozens of 100-point wines, is a master of Cabernet Franc. His 2021 Le Fabuleux Franc represents a barrel-selection of the finest Cab Franc he made in this phenomenal vintage. It’s grown on Luc and Jodie Morlet’s own 24-acre Cœur de Vallée Vineyard in Oakville, which sits mere yards from To Kalon and shares its Bale-series soils.
In any given year, the Cabernet Franc picked at Cœur de Vallée is fermented in 1/3 Darnajou puncheons and 2/3 small stainless-steel tanks. These wines are then blended to make Force de la Nature. But in the phenomenal 2021 vintage, when Luc made this Le Fabuleux Franc for Premiere Napa Valley, he chose the puncheon that was perfect on its own.
It displayed the sought after characteristics you would normally achieve through blending—the layered texture, the complexity, the aromatics. It speaks volumes about this barrel that Luc singled it out as exceptional, then went on to win a perfect score without it.
The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested into 35-pound bins, cluster sorted, then sorted berry by berry. The 2021 Cabernet Franc Le Fabuleaux Franc was punched down twice per day, a gentle process that brings aromatic complexity, aids in extraction, preserves freshness, leads to rounder and softer tannins, and results in a more terroir-driven wine. It aged for 18 months in a Darnajou French oak barrique before bottling.
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