2020 Morlet Family Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnement
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Tasting notes
The single-varietal 2020 Passionnement Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of creme de cassis, black cherry preserves, and blackberry pie emerge cautiously from the glass, followed by a fragrant undercurrent of graphite, damp soil, and black olives. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit at this youthful stage, with savory and mineral layers and a firm, grainy texture backed by just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.
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Average Score
The Wine Palate
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
There are just 250 cases of the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnement, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon barrel selection dominated by fruit from Coeur de Vallée in Oakville but containing small contributions from the estate vineyards in Saint Helena and Knights Valley. Scents of ripe raspberries, dark chocolate and black cherries are joined by gentle floral notes on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, supple and silky, finishing long and elegant, sculpted by soft, dusty tannins and mouthwatering freshness. This is terrific stuff from a vintage in which greatness was clearly achievable in rare instances.
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnement is probably my favorite of the 2020s and brings more sweetness of fruit and depth than just about any other wine I've tasted in the vintage. Cassis, darker currants, graphite, spicy oak, and some floral notes all define this full-bodied, deep, layered, textured 2020. I love it today, yet I see no reason it shouldn't have 15 years or more of longevity. If there's a "wow" wine in 2020, this is it.
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Passionnément, a selection of the best barrels in the cellar, is impressive. Blackberry jam, graphite, spice, new leather, menthol and cedar build nicely in an attractive, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. All the elements are in the right place.