2016 Morlet Family Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles

The 2016 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles comes from 26-year-old vines located at 1,000-1,250 feet on the second ridge in from the ocean. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, it simply sings of crushed black cherries, black raspberries and kirsch notes plus nuances of underbrush, violets and chocolate box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a real punch of bold, expressive black cherry and floral layers, framed by plush, fine-grained tannins and finishing long and vibrant. 400 cases produced.

From a northwest facing vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA located in the heart of the Sonoma Coast, the 2016 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles has a big core of sweet fruit and is one of the most powerful, layered, full-bodied wines I’ve tasted from this AVA. Don’t let that scare you off though, as this beauty stays fresh and elegant as well and has classic red and blue fruits, forest floor, and bouquet garni-like aromas and flavors. It’s beautifully done and has considerable elegance. 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.

Wild dark cherry, plum, lavender, spice, hard candy and new leather infuse the 2016 Pinot Noir Côteaux Nobles. In this vintage, the Côteaux Nobles is quite dark and brooding, with serious depth and power throughout. It will be interesting to see if the Côteaux Nobles develops more aromatic top notes. Today, the 2016 is arresting in its beauty, even if the aromatics are a bit muted.