2016 Coup de Coeur Chardonnay

The 2016 Chardonnay Coup de Coeur comes from Old Wente clones and is a selection of the finest barrels. It's just a little shy at this very young stage, with the nose revealing subtle allspice, powder ginger and yuzu scents with a core of peach tart, orange blossoms, crushed rocks and lime cordial. Full-bodied and absolutely packed with tightly wound layers of citrus and stone fruits, it has a fantastic backbone of crisp freshness injecting incredible tension and carrying the flavors to an epically long finish. This will be incredibly long lived. 125 cases produced.

Pure perfection in the glass is the 2016 Chardonnay Coup de Coeur, a selection of Luc’s favorite barrels. It offers extraordinary notes of caramelized citrus, toasted brioche, marzipan, white flowers and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality. With full body, incredible purity, a layered, huge palate presence, yet a weightless, elegant texture, it needs to be tasted to be believed. Hats off to Morlet for an incredible Chardonnay. Give it a year and enjoy over the following decade or more. I loved these latest releases from Luc Morlet and family, and they show a sensational mix of classic, balanced, even old-school, characters mixed with killer California fruit. As a whole, the 2014s show more elegance and complexity, with the 2015s possessing more power and richness. These are rockstar wines.

The 2016 Chardonnay Coup de Cœur is fabulous. A wine that brings together all the Morlet signatures, the Coup de Cœur is a wine of harmony above all else. White orchard fruit, pear, mint and white flowers contribute to a feeling of brightness that plays off some of the richer elements nicely. Nothing stands out in this lush, beautifully layered Chardonnay from Luc and Jodie Morlet.