Morlet Family Vineyards’ “Ma Princesse” Chardonnay 2023 is a limited-production Russian River Valley Chardonnay that aims for richness without losing definition. It is named for Luc Morlet’s daughter, Claire, and critics note that she “has now become a part of the winery as of this year,” according to Jeb Dunnuck. Fruit comes from the Ritchie Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, sourced from old Wente clone Chardonnay.

In the cellar, Morlet follows a classic, Burgundian-leaning program: hand-harvesting at night, native-yeast barrel fermentation in French oak, full malolactic fermentation, and élevage on lees with bâtonnage. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The winery suggests it can age for 15–20 years, and at least one critic’s window supports that general intent.

This 2023 has drawn excellent reviews, including two 97-point scores. Dunnuck (97 points) describes a “hazy bright yellow hue” and a “pure white” profile with “a darker hint of delicate reduction,” plus a “smoky, stony feel” layered with “ripe apples, melon, orange blossom, and sherbet.” He emphasizes both scale and structure: “long on the palate, with a full-bodied feel,” finishing with “a deeper, mouthwatering mineral persistence,” and he concludes that it delivers “the stylistic decadence you come to expect from Morlet, but it has a long mineral feel.” He recommends drinking 2026–2038.

The Wine Independent (97 points) similarly highlights ripeness and lift, opening with “showy scents of apple butter, juicy pears, and persimmons,” followed by “lime blossoms, baking bread, and salty almonds.” On the palate, it finds the wine “intense and bright” with “a racy backbone” and “creamy texture,” “finishing long and lifted.”

Taken together, Ma Princesse 2023 reads as a full-bodied, oak-fermented Russian River Chardonnay where creamy, orchard-fruit depth is balanced by mineral tension and freshness.