Morlet Family Vineyards Billet Doux Late Harvest White Wine, 2013, 375ML

 Feature

Tasting Note

 Wine Advocate 95 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2013 Billet Doux is a late-harvest wine composed of 58% Sémillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Muscat from 64-year-old dry-farmed vines affected by noble rot and barrel fermented. It features exuberant notions of lemon tart, peach preserves, orange blossoms and mandarin peel with touches of candied ginger and honeycomb. The palate is rich, sweet and unctuous with a compelling oiliness to the texture wonderfully offset by great freshness, finishing long and honeyed. 175 cases produced. Drink Date: 2018 - 2033

Jeb Dunnuck 96 points

Luc also makes a brilliant dessert wine. His 2013 Billet Doux, from vines planted in 1953 and harvested with plenty of botrytis, was barrel fermented and checks in with 125 grams of residual sugar. This beauty has lots of honeyed orange blossom, lychee, and caramelized citrus aromas and hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful sweetness, and a balanced, clean, lengthy finish. It will stand beside any number of Sauternes and is another brilliant wine from this talented winemaker.

Winemaking 

Old vines (25-60 years) in loamy and gravelly soils. One cluster per shoot.

Fermented in barrels with native yeast, aged 16 months in French oak from artisan coopers.

Unfined and filtered to prevent MLF

Winery

In St. Helena, the heart of the Napa Valley, Luc and Jodie Morlet handcraft vins de terroirs and unique cuvées from the surrounding Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast. Meticulously farmed vineyards and low-intervention winemaking techniques produce powerful yet refined wines displaying personality, complexity and graceful aging capability. By taking Old World principles and adapting them to California, the Morlet style results in wines which are harmonious in their intensity, richness and refinement. Unwavering commitment to quality leads to small yields, attentive sorting, and the highest standard when blending. Thus, a very limited amount of each wine is produced.