2017 Coeur de Vallee Cabernet Sauvignon

Intense, concentrated, with waves of fragrant herbs from sage to garrigue, alongside cassis, blackberry puree, lavender, cocoa bean and smoked earth. This was an important vintage for Coeur de Vallée, with the transition from Beckstoffer To Kalon fruit to entirely their own vineyard (just on the far side of the road from the Beckstoffer plantings, still with the To Kalon creek running through). 85% new oak, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Lots of smoky black fruits, graphite, and mineral notes emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur De Valle, which comes from a mix of To Kalon and the Coeur de Vallee Vineyard and is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. It shows the more plush style of To Kalon and is one of the more approachable Cabernets in the lineup, offering full-bodied richness, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a plush, sexy mouthfeel. It still has enough underlying tannins to warrant a few years of bottle age, but it’s going to drink beautifully for a solid two decades.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Cœur de Vallée is an attractive wine. It is also the first edition of this Cabernet to include fruit from Luc and Jodie Morlet's estate vineyard in the center of St. Helena. Plum, leather and licorice accents give this mid-weight Cabernet lovely complexity. A dollop of Cabernet Franc from Beckstoffer To Kalon rounds out the blend. Overall, this is a lighter style than what Morlet fans are likely to expect, but all the elements are nicely balanced.