The 2022 Pinot Noir Joli Coeur, picked before the heat event, was tasted as a barrel sample 2-3 weeks before bottling. Medium ruby-purple in color, it slowly emerges from the glass with a gorgeous perfume of black cherry preserves, fresh blackberries, and pomegranate opening out to underlying notes of wild sage, underbrush, and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate offers exciting tension and a firm line of exquisitely ripe tannins to frame the vibrant black fruits, finishing long with a perfumed lift. (LPB) 96-98+

Morlet's 2022 Pinot Noir Joli Coeur is a bit less floral than the perfumed 2021, but it's still nicely aromatic, combining raspberries and rose petals on the nose. From an east-facing portion of the vineyard with shallow soils and smaller berries, it's medium to full-bodied in the mouth, more structured than Morlet's other 2022 Pinot Noirs, with a firm, lingering finish dusted with soft tannins. (JC)