2013 Morlet Family Vineyards Passionnement Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 750 ml

There might not be a finer Cabernet craftsman in California than Luc Morlet. And there might not be a bottle in your cellar that will turn more heads than his 98-point 2013 Passionnément Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville.

Hailing from Robert Parker’s “game-changer” vintage, crafted in a tiny amount (just 280 cases) under the meticulous eye of a winemaker who has now earned 19 100-point scores, this is everything a collectible Napa Cabernet should be. It’s muscular but unfailingly elegant, showing grand layers of mulberry, cassis, and graphite that converge into a finish built on velvety tannins—perfect for drinking now but primed for another long rest, if you’re so inclined.

Luc Morlet was born into a winemaking family that goes back five generations in Champagne. His love for his American sweetheart brought him to California, where he quickly reached the top rung of the winemaking ladder, replacing John Kongsgaard at Newton. At Peter Michael, he racked up over 30 wines rated 94-99 points from The Wine Advocate. Then, fifteen years ago, he and his wife Jodie founded Morlet Family Vineyards.

Passionnément is always a blend of Morlet’s best Cabernet barrels, selected via blind tasting. The 2013 comes primarily from revered Beckstoffer sites in the Oakville benchlands. The wine also includes barrels from Morlet’s St. Helena and Knights Valley sites, but because it consists of 85% Oakville Cabernet, it can be labeled as such.

This painstakingly crafted Cabernet spent 16 months in artisan-made French oak barrels before bottling, and now—after nearly a decade of perfect cellaring at the winery—it’s in the prime of its life. Whether you open it now or in a decade, this is a collectible wine to be savored.