Cool climate Syrah offers dense, dark fruit flavors with peppery spice and balanced acidity. Morgan, long known for fine Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir, has mastered the art of crafting limited bottlings of Syrah. The 2009 Monterey Syrah is sourced from a collection of vineyards in northern Monterey appellations. Santa Lucia Highlands’ vineyards contributed 74% to this blend, including our own Certified Organic and Sustainable, Double L Vineyard. The remainder of the cuvee was sourced from the Arroyo Seco and select Monterey appellations.

The growing season started slow in 2009; cool, wet weather in late spring delayed the fruit by 5 - 10 days. August was more temperate, with less fog than normal. Warm weather allowed sugars to catch up, but not necessarily flavor. Patience was key. October’s “fall effect” brought cool nights and shorter days with moderate heat, resulting in well developed flavors and balanced acidity.

The Syrah harvest began October 19th and lasted until October 26th. For the 2009 vintage, we selected Syrah from clones 383, 470 and Estrella. Hand sorted grapes were destemmed before going into small open top fermentation tanks. An extended maceration optimizes color extraction, manual punchdowns provide soft supple tannins. The wine is aged in 25% new French oak barrels for 13 months before the final blend is assembled and bottled.

Our Syrah displays a beautiful, deep, dark reddish-purple color in the glass with pomegranate, plum, black pepper and orange blossom rounding out the nose. The wine strikes an elegant balance, with firm tannins deeply folded into the rich black cherry, fig and black tea flavors. Although dense and structured, the ‘09 Syrah does note overpower food. Try with roasts, stews or something off the grill like lamb kabobs.