100% tank fermented, 85% of the resulting wine is aged for three months in
French oak, 10% of which is new, without malolactic fermentation. This is very
unusual on the nose for a sauvignon blanc (though there’s a touch of semillon
in it too): there’s a hint of grass with some tropical fruit. Open and fairly crisp on the palate, it has
quite a marked acidity on the finish.
Just a bit un-special. Good/Very
Good. 84/100
2005 Chardonnay Metallico,
Monterey, Morgan,
13.5%
100% tank fermented without malolactic fermentation; it sees just a bit of old,
netural oak. The grapes come mainly from
the Arroyo Seco appellation in the centre of the Salinas valley. The Salinas Valley confusingly forms the main
Monterey appellation, which stretches inland some 80 miles or so from Monterey
Bay.
The wine has a very aromatic, very crisp, slightly appley nose. Very pure and precise on the palate. Quite crisp and very clean indeed. Very refreshing. Very Good Indeed. 89/100
2005 Highland Chardonnay, Santa
Lucia Highlands, Morgan, 14.2%
The fruit for this comes entirely from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands
appellation, largely from Morgan’s Double L Vineyard. It is entirely fermented in barrels, aged for
10 months in 30% new oak with 65% malolactic fermentation.
It has a musky, perfumed, creamy nose and a good, round fruit palate. This is more obviously Californian than the
Metallico, but it’s still got a fairly high acidity. Very Good+.
87/100
2005 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones,
Santa Lucia Highlands, Morgan,
55% of the fruit comes from Morgan’s Double L Vineyard, the remainder from
other top vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. It was aged for 11 months in 40% new barrels
and is bottled unfined.
It has quite a reticent red fruits nose with some minerality. Very clean, yet lively on the palate. Quite precise, and with a nice acidity,
giving it a fairly elegant feel. Very
Good. As it sits in the glass, it grows
on me. 89/100
2005 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard,
Santa Lucia Highlands, Morgan, 14.5%
100% pinot noir from Morgan’s own Double L Vineyard; aged for 11 months in 50%
new oak; bottled unfined.
This has a very attractive nose, with complex layers of red fruits. Very attractive on the palate: immediately,
there are layers of flavours and super complexity, together with a nice depth
and lovely balance too. A pretty much
perfect pinot noir. Excellent. 95/100
2004 Syrah, Monterey, Morgan, 14.4%
From vineyards in the middle of the Salinas Valley, this is made the same way
as the pinot: open top fermenters with manual punch down; aged in French oak
(25% new) for 14 months.
It has a very fragrant, black fruit nose – distinctly fruity rather than
meaty. This is a very precise, focussed,
fruity syrah. The forward fruit makes it
feel a touch simple, but it is a nice, pleasant syrah. Very Good/Very Good Indeed. 88/100
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Last updated: 4/1/2008