Morlet Family Vineyards En Famille Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
For generations our family has been growing the Pinot Noir grape in France. Each harvest, we love to celebrate this time-honored commitment while our children stomp a small vat of Pinot Noir from California’s Sonoma Coast. As for any family celebration or casual gathering, this handcrafted wine is to be appreciated ‘En Famille.’ Intense raspberry, wild strawberry, forest floor and earthy notes (graphite), very rich and complex with a leathery lingering finish. Will age gracefully for over a decade.
Propietary Name En Famille
Name Meaning With the family (with kids’ help) 5 generations with Pinot Noir
Varietal composition Pinot Noir (100%)
Type of wine Vineyard designated
Appellation Fort Ross-Seaview
Vineyard singularity On the 2nd ridge off Pacific Ocean 1,100 feet of elevation Goldridge sedimentary soil
Typical harvest date October Picking Manual, small lugs, refer truck Sorting Cluster by cluster, berry per berry
Fermentation Through native yeast Punch downs Puncheons only Upbringing 14 months French oak from artisan coopers
Bottling Unfiltered
Cellaring time 10+ years
Serving Slightly below room temperature No decanting
Review:
The 2020 Pinot Noir En Famille, bottled in March 2022, is medium ruby-purple colored. It is a little subdued at this youthful stage, delivering shy notions of wild thyme, damp soil, and cedar before giving way to a core of cherry pie, raspberry preserves, and mulberries. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is delicately styled and subtly layered, with red fruits and earthy accents supported by fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing savory. This comes from a vineyard planted in 1990, right next door to the “Coteaux Nobles” vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. 350 cases were made.
-Wine Independent 95 Points