x
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    Now-2030
  • Food Pairing

    Grilled lamb, roasted duck & grilled halloumi

The Story

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Cabernet Franc 25%

Vineyards: Morlet Family ‘Cœur de Vallée’ Vineyard Bale soils, loamy topsoil on loamy & clay-loamy subsoils.

Winemaking: Cluster by cluster, berry per berry picking. Fermentation with native yeasts. Unfiltered. Ageing 16 months in French oak from artisan coopers.

Winemaker notes:

Located in the world-renowned Oakville appellation, in the heart of the Napa Valley, our vineyard is situated in the east-west axis which includes Peter Michael Winery’s ‘Au Paradis’ vineyard, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Screaming Eagle, To Kalon vineyard and Harlan Estate. The To Kalon Creek runs through our property, and the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines benefit from the gravelly and loamy Bale soil derived from an alluvial fan in this warm yet temperate climate. Handcrafted using classical winemaking techniques, this wine is dedicated to Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Nancy Hampel who have always demonstrated their kindness of heart. It is ‘Heart of the Valley’ or ‘Cœur de Vallée.’

Deep garnet-purple in color, the ‘Cœur de Vallée’ is characterized by a striking bouquet of lavender and violets over a core of sweet red berries, crème de cassis, Chambord liqueur, blackcurrants and licorice, and com­pelling notes of mocha, espresso, chocolate and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied with an impressive fine-grained texture, this powerful yet refined Cabernet Sauvignon is expressive from start to finish, boasting a background freshness that supports the intense black fruit layers. The wine displays an extraordinary concentration, richness, fi­nesse and purity while possessing silky and polished tan­nins leading to an elegant lift on the long, lush finish. Featuring the interaction of the clayish yet well-draining gravelly volcanic soil, the site’s microclimates and the low-interventionistic Morlet winemaking approach, the stunning ‘Cœur de Vallée’ ages gracefully for decades.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Close

Vintage 2010

97 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate / Robert M. Parker Jr.

"The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallee is laced with freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries and mint. Weightless and crystalline, the 2010 is pure silk and finesse. The Coeur de Vallee is always the most elegant of Morlet’s Cabernets, and the 2010 plays true to type. Sweet floral notes add lift on the finish. The 2010 is gorgeous today, but it needs a few years in bottle to blossom fully. This is yet another tremendous wine from Luc and Jodie Morlet. The 2010 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. Luc and Jodie Morlet’s 2010s are off the charts. The 2010s have huge structure, but the fruit is so ripe and voluptuous in these wines that the perception of tannin is often imperceptible." (AG) 97+ (12/2012)

94 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar / Stephen Tanzer

Bright medium ruby. Lovely violet lift to the intense aromas of cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate, complicated by sexy mocha and earth tones; a real essence of Oakville. Wonderfully plush and sweet in the mouth, with captivating minty lift to the pliant dark raspberry and spice flavors. Finishes very long, with noble, rising tannins that coat the teeth. An outstanding and very suave wine in the making: I love the Cabernet Franc element here." (ST) 94+ (5/2013)

92 points by Wine Spectator / James Laube

"A rich, gutsy effort, dense and extracted, with firm tannins cloaking the dark berry, cedar, tobacco and black licorice notes. Tannic from the get-go, this wine will benefit from cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2015 through 2026." (JL) (11/2013)

 

Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

The brooding, dark, earthy aroma shows just a hint of sweet fruit on the nose and leaves you totally unprepared for the surprisingly ripe and lush entry on the palate. Generous black berry and black cherry flavors with excellent depth.  Round, lush, big and long, but still well-balanced. Wow!

Load more notes

Information

Origin

St. Helena, Napa Valley

Soil

Loamy topsoil on loamy & clay-loamy subsoils.

Grapes

75% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Cabernet Franc

Drinking temperature

17-18C

Highlights

Latest news

WINERY NEWS Gaja / Vintage Report 2023 The 2023 vintage has been showing common characteristics throughout all of ou  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS FINE Wine Magazines / Now users can read the previous issues of Fine Wine Magazine and Champagne Magazines digitally
WINERY NEWS Salon / France offered a bottle of Champagne Salon 1948 to King Charles III, during his first official visit  more ...
WINERY NEWS Maison Louis Latour / The Bourgogne 2023 vintage: Surpassing all expectations!  It's been some time since Bour  more ...
WINERY NEWS Olivier Leflaive / 2022 is a sunny and warm vintage with a immediate generous character. Highly long-awaited after a  more ...
WINERY NEWS Graham's / Introducing a Limited Edition Case of 1970 and 2020 Vintage Ports – Our First NFT Launch We  more ...
WINERY NEWS Alois Lageder / The Year 2023 at the Alois Lageder Winery Alois Clemens Lageder: „The first musts and wi- n  more ...
WINERY NEWS Tenuta Belguardo / BELGUARDO V - The first DOC Maremma Toscana Vermentino Superiore   October 2023_Foll  more ...
WINERY NEWS Bec Hardy / Vintage 2023 - WINEMAKING VINTAGE WRAP UP Vintage 2023 was a real rollercoaster ride; the in  more ...
WINERY NEWS Luciano Sandrone /  The growing season 2023 - Towards the harvest The agrari  more ...
WINERY NEWS Gramercy Cellars / Spring Release Wines for 2023! This is a release that everyone at Gramercy is honored to show.   more ...
WINE NEWS: Black Label NV (10's) / Champagne Lanson ditches Le Black Label Brut After db broke news of the planned move ea  more ...
WINE NEWS: Brut Premier NV (10's) / Louis Roederer Launches its Replacement for Brut Premier with Collection 242 NV Louis Roederer Re  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Finland could seek EU recognition as a wine-producing country by 2028 / Wine production in Finland is extremely small-scale.
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Tastingbook organized the world's largest tasting of the 1990s decade. / Over 250 best wines from 1990-1999 tasted 
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Hill of Grace – Celebrating 60 Years. / by Andrew Caillard MW
WINERY NEWS Henri Boillot / 2020 Vintage was a delight as both winegrower and winemaker. It is with great sadness and emotion  more ...
WINERY NEWS Catena Zapata / HARVEST REPORT - 2023 The 2023 wines will be among the most age worthy. After the October and Nov  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS BWW 2023 - The Best Wine of the World -Competition voting is over! / Almost 3 million votes have been cast for 17,721 wines from 543,000 wine professionals and wine enthusiasts
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS 100 BEST CHAMPAGNES 2023 / by Champagne Magazine

Wine Moments

Here you can see wine moments from tastingbook users. or to see wine moments from your world.
--- No Wine Moments ---
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register
BWW 2024

BWW 2024 - Who is the Best Wine Critic of the World?

 

VOTE NOW YOUR FAVOURITE WINE CRITIC!

 

Wine Professionals and wine lovers from all around the world choose, who is most reliable and influential wine critic in the world.

BWW - Best Wine of the World -Competition is the largest wine competition in the world, whether measured by the number of wines, the number of consumers involved or the judges taking part.