2014 Morlet Family Vineyards Force de la Nature Cabernet Franc Oakville 750 ml

Perfectionist’s Oakville Force of Nature

There are just two places you can purchase the Morlet Family Vineyards Force de la Nature Cabernet Franc other than Wine Access: The Michelin-3-star The French Laundry at $695 a bottle, or the Morlet mailing list, for $275. 

Today, in a delicious twist of fate, we have the last 10 cases of this 98-point masterpiece offered at the best price in the nation: $255 per bottle. This is a must-have for collectors: Morlet wines have garnered six 100-point scores from Parker alone, and today are produced in extremely limited quantities. The Force de la Nature is “one of the greatest Cabernet Francs made in California,” wrote Robert Parker himself. 

Several of the world’s most influential critics have echoed Parker, and lavished heaps of praise on the rare 2014 Morlet Family Vineyards Force de la Nature red from Oakville, which we have as a Wine Access exclusive. Jeb Dunnuck’s recently published reviews call them “rockstar wines,” and Parker has decreed that Luc Morlet and his brother Nick are “two of the hot commodities in northern California,” “making some of the most exciting wines,” in Napa Valley.   

Take one sip of any of their wines and all the superlatives make sense: In the glass, intoxicating and heady aromas of lilacs and violets are complemented by dark berries, graphite, and freshly roasted espresso, while a deep and concentrated dark core of fruit leads to a seductive layer of macerated red fruit. It’s all bolstered by a rich tannic backbone, which becomes velvety and smooth after a good decant. This is an outstanding effort to enjoy now, and later.

Luc Morlet was born in Épernay into a winegrowing family that goes back five generations in Champagne. When he came to Napa Valley in 1996, he started out at Newton, replacing John Kongsgaard, and later collaborated with consulting oenologist Michel Rolland. The knowledge he gained from these two winemaking legends, coupled with his own family’s trade secrets, all but guaranteed success for Morlet. Later, as the winemaker for Peter Michael, he racked up over 30 wines rated 94-99 points from The Wine Advocate in just five years.

In 2006, he began crafting Morlet Family wines, which Parker has described best: “The wines from this small boutique winery are not to be missed.” 

From the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard in Oakville, Cabernet Franc vines are rooted in deep, well-draining, gravelly soils. Grapes are harvested in October, fermented with native yeasts, and aged 16 months in fine French oak. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, and ONLY made during outstanding vintages. All that effort leads to a wine with a deft balance of fruit and spice, intense color, and dazzling aromatics. 

We’re not kidding about the size of this allocation, so don’t wait to add this masterpiece to your collection.