Cotes du Crow’s is Morgan’s blend of the two predominant southern Rhone red varieties.
The Vineyards
Cotes du Crow’s is sourced primarily from the San Lucas and Arroyo Seco appellations of Monterey.
Temperatures are warmer down valley as the coastal fog doesn't always reach the area, yet overnight lows are still quite cool, which retain acidity and lengthen the growing season.
The Vintage
This fine vintage was marked by a special twofold stress on the vines: after an unusually dry winter, the spring growing season was marked by cold, wet weather. The struggle of the vines against the climate produced a low yield of high-quality grapes with a noticeable increase of intensity compared to previous years.
Vinification, Aging, and the Art of the Blend
The goal is to produce a wine that has the bold, spicy, rich flavors of the Southern Rhone with a dose of California sunshine. To achieve this, the wine is fermented in open top fermenters using manual punch down for optimum extraction and structure with soft tannins.
After primary fermentation, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels, of which 20% are new, for malo-lactic fermentation and 10 months of aging. The wine showed nice structure, yet maintained finesse with a 55% Syrah/45% Grenache blend. One can still taste the qualities of each grape with this blend, though, interestingly enough, that was not possible with a 60/40 blend. After assembling the blend in the summer, the wine was bottled, unfined, in August 2008.
Aromas, Flavors, & Palate Impressions
Medium-rich ruby red color with blue-black highlights. Nose and palate impressions of violets, blueberry jam, mint, pomegranate, strawberry, spice, and pepper. Medium-bodied, soft tannins. A versatile food wine, it walks the fine line between being a substantial wine and a wine that is easy to enjoy.
