Cabernet Sauvignon

Food pairings: Ribeye steak, braised short ribs and roast lamb.

Winemaking: 'Les Petits Morlet' is a cuvée selection, a judicious blend of barrels that captures the youthful energy of younger vines and is the offspring of Morlet's mature Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings. The grapes are picked by hand at night into small lugs, carried in a refrigerated truck and sorted cluster by cluster and berry by berry by hand. Fermentation is with native yeasts, with punch-downs in stainless steel tanks and French oak puncheons, followed by 16 months in French oak barrels from selected artisan coopers. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vineyards and terroir: The fruit comes from young vines on the Morlet family's own estate vineyards in the Napa Valley, farmed year-round by the full-time Morlet farming team. The estates are planted at high density, which yields petite berries and tiny clusters, and are farmed organically and regeneratively, with cover crops, compost, owl boxes and bluebird houses, and grazing sheep.

Family and history: Luc Morlet is the fifth generation of a French winegrowing family from Avenay-Val-d'Or in Champagne. He trained in viticulture and oenology in Champagne and Reims and was régisseur of Château Dauzac in Margaux before he and his wife Jodie founded Morlet Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley. The wine is named in honor of their children, Paul and Claire, and stands for their passion, talents, optimism and future.

In the pictures: Luc Morlet sorting grapes berry by berry; and the Morlet estate vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley (both courtesy of Morlet Family Vineyards).