2009 En Famille Pinot Noir

The 2009 Pinot Noir En Famille is a big, exuberant wine, yet all of the elements are very much in harmony. Black cherries, spices, flowers and mint meld together effortlessly in this juicy, seamless wine. Stylistically, the En Famille is all about richness and density of fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2019. I was quite frankly amazed by the range of wines I tasted with Luc Morlet. The wines span everything from single-variety Chardonnays, Pinots and Syrahs to Bordeaux-inspired blends. La Proportion Doree is a Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend with a dash of Muscadelle. Morlet’s Billet Doux is a late-harvest version of that wine, but with fruit just from Alexander Valley. Passionnement is Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in Oakville, while Coeur de Vallee is Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, also from Oakville. Mon Chevalier is a Bordeaux-style blend made from vineyards in Knights Valley. Morlet Estate, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena, is the newest wine in the lineup. Tel. (707) 967-8690; www.morletwines.com

(15.7% alcohol): Good deep red. Wonderfully pure aromas of black raspberry, graphite and spices, along with subtle earth notes. Sweet, rich, very ripe and suave, with solid acidity and a high note of cranberry framing and energizing the flavors of raspberry, spices, leather and earth. Really spreads out horizontally on the finish, which features substantial dusty tannins and lingering leather and earth tones. Luc Morlet ages his pinots entirely in 600-liter puncheons, half new and half used (vinification is done in two-thirds stainless steel and one-third puncheons). The pHs of these 2009s are around 3.65, and Morlet told me that none of these wines were acidified.