Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (2-Pack Horizontal)

Luc Morlet is a Bay Area marvel – a fifth-generation Champenois who traded Avenay-Val-d'Or for Northern California and became one of the state's most revered cult winemakers. This horizontal pairs two of his finest 2014 Cabernets side by side: the 98-point "Passionnément" from Oakville and the 97-point "Mon Chevalier" from Knights Valley. Together they retail for $625 – but you'll take home both for just $250 with free shipping! Slay.

There are few better ways to understand a winemaker than to taste two of his wines side by side – same vintage, different terroir. The 2014 "Passionnément" hails from Oakville and shows the riper, more opulent side of the equation – a ripe, sweetly fruited, and elegant style that glides across the palate without a hint of heaviness, layering crème de cassis, crushed flowers, graphite, and spice into a seamless whole that never sacrifices density or richness. Its counterpart, the 2014 "Mon Chevalier," comes from a hillside in Knights Valley and is built from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest a mix of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Expect crème de cassis again, joined by graphite, camphor, and loamy earth, full body, remarkable purity, and a building sense of minerality that carries through the finish.

“I loved these latest releases from Luc Morlet and family, and they show a sensational mix of classic, balanced, even old-school, characters mixed with killer California fruit. As a whole, the 2014s show more elegance and complexity … These are rockstar wines.” –Jeb Dunnuck

Growing up working for his family's domaine in Avenay-Val-d'Or, Luc knew early on that he wanted to follow in his family's footsteps, earning a degree in enology and viticulture along with several additional diplomas before working under Jacques Boissenot in Bordeaux at Château Dauzac. His future wife, Jodie, was raised in Sacramento as the daughter of P.E. teachers before pursuing an education in behavioral therapy for children with disabilities. The pair met in Paris in 1994 and instantly hit it off, exploring Champagne together and exchanging letters for two years before Luc made the leap to California. They married the next year, and Luc went on to be mentored by Michel Rolland and serve as winemaker at Peter Michael Winery before launching his family's own label, Morlet Family Vineyards, in 2006.

That whirlwind venture has become a story of grit, passion, and love – for their family and for wine alike – and Luc's depth of experience has rightfully earned him a place among California's cult producers. These two Cabernets are perfect evidence of why. Jeb Dunnuck awarded the "Passionnément" 98 points and the "Mon Chevalier" 97, calling the latter both powerful and elegant, and the former powerful and seamless. We couldn't agree more. The beauty of a horizontal like this is the conversation between the two bottles – Oakville's plush, sweetly fruited generosity beside Knights Valley's mineral-driven precision – a side-by-side study in how one masterful hand expresses two distinct corners of California.

The value is impossible to overstate. These two wines retail for a combined $625, but this 2-pack horizontal is yours for just $250 with free shipping – well under half of retail for a pair of 97-98 point Cabernets from one of the state's most celebrated winemakers. Don't let this one slip away!