Press

2018 Tempranillo

Review by Fredric Koeppel @Vinohead 
The color is a lovely transparent cherry-magenta hue; a ripe, spicy cherry-berry nose evolves notes of sandalwood and cloves and, after a few minutes, sage and thyme; a lovely, lively, silken, dusty texture feels sanded by slightly gritty tannins, but juicy berry flavors dominate through to a burnished finish heightened by leather, loam and flint-like minerality. Drink through 2022 or ’23 with grilled sausages, leg of lamb, veal chops with green olives. Excellent.

2018 G17 Syrah

Review by @wineryreflections
Tart blackberry, fragrant sage, fresh mixed currants. Wild huckleberry, cracked black pepper, spiced dark cherry. Crunchy boysenberry, cranberry, and black licorice erupt with incredible energy and tension yet are immediately outshined by fresh thyme, rosemary, and a complex medley of wild herbs. Cardamon, anise, and tarragon continue the ambrosially spiced and herbal attack aided by an additional savory jolt of black olive, lavender leaf, and tree bark. A waft of young violet complements nice floral lift before oyster shell, crushed gravel, and rock salt leave a deliciously earthy impression. Delightfully peppery, raw, and feral; boasting an incredibly layered and multidimensional profile that is only just barely beginning to reveal its true depth. Medium plus in body/tannin/acidity with palpable energy and structure that implies it is still many years from its peak. This 2018 "G17" Syrah by Morgan Winery is an outstanding and unique cool climate red from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

While it is primarily known as a source for high quality Pinot Noir, the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation in Monterey County it is also home to a growing concentration of absolutely incredible Syrah. This bottling, crafted by Morgan Winery using mostly Syrah plus a pinch of Grenache and Tempranillo, is a terrifically interesting example of the complex subtleties possible in California's cool yet sunny Central Coast. Contrary to many new world Syrahs this wine is dominated largely by its pronounced savory and herbal character rather than its fruit, yet it still manages to express wonderfully juicy freshness. It is well balanced and quite restrained with excellent tartness and drive. This is an extremely well executed and food friendly offering that will stand up to even the most intricately flavored dishes.

Have you tried Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah?

2017 Twelve Clones Pinot Noir

Review by @WineryReflections
Ripe Bing cherry, fresh lavender, pomegranate reduction. Candied orange peel, Asian five spice, black raspberry compote. A delicately concentrated and lifted core of Santa Rosa plum, cranberry cocktail, and cola seamlessly collides with forest floor, coriander, and nutmeg in a fragrant and gorgeously expansive display. High toned perfume continues to radiate as violet, wildflowers, and pine needle reveal fresh floral and natural overtones intricately complicated by clove, cardamom, and an ample helping of complex spice. A waft of grilled mushroom emerges to impart a dousing of beautiful umami while ocean fog, sea spray, and gravely earth expose subtle yet seductive hints of terroir. Fresh, fruit-driven, and nicely balanced on the palate; presenting a wonderfully layered and expressive attack that maintains authenticity to both grape and place. Medium plus in body with moderate yet soft tannin backed by elevated acidity. This 2017 "Twelve Clones" Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir by Morgan Winery is a bright, aromatic, and archetypal Monterey County red. 

Known for its warm sunny days juxtaposed against cold and foggy nights, the Santa Lucia Highlands has quickly developed into one of California's greatest growing zones for robust and expressive Pinot Noir. This bottling, crafted by Morgan Winery using 12 distinct clones of Pinot Noir sourced from within the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, brilliantly showcases the ethereal power and aromatic depth that this region has become famous for. While it leads with a medley of rich and ripe fruit this wine maintains impressive weightlessness and energy, and its spiced, floral, and natural charm gorgeously complicates the intriguing fruit-focused bouquet. This exhibits nice restraint to balance its decadence, and while enjoyable now it will certainly improve with 5-10 years in the cellar. A deliciously classic SLH Pinot.

Have you tried SLH Pinot Noir?

Navigating a cautious reopening of winetasting rooms in Monterey County

Featured article in the Monterey County Herald:

Not unlike that uneasy moment of peeking outside one’s shelter after the storm — or, in this case, while the pandemic persists — our community is beginning to open its doors, as we move into the next phase of reopening the local economy. Among the various businesses easing back into service starting Friday are the winetasting rooms throughout Monterey County...

...When the shelter-in-place order went into effect, Morgan Winery’s Taste Morgan in the Crossroads Shopping Center of Carmel, went from serving wine seven days a week to shuttered. As it eases into “tasting in the time of COVID,” it has condensed its week to three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — for now.

“We want to do this right, so we’re limiting ourselves to three days, and reservations for three parties per time slot to give people a safe, social distance,” said Jackie Lee, sales administrator for Morgan Winery. “We are fortunate to have both indoor and outdoor seating to adequately accommodate our guests, and those seated outside can bring their dog.”

Reservations, one hour apart, will give guests 45 minutes of wine tasting, and reserve 15 minutes for staff to sanitize the space for the next round. Also, Taste Morgan is supplying disposable masks for patrons who need them, as well as disposable spit buckets and Govino glasses, the “go anywhere, shatterproof, reusable, recyclable” wine glass guests can take with them when they leave.

“Govino glasses don’t give quite the same experience as something in a stem,” said Lee, “but they’re not Solo cups, either. We don’t have to wash or reuse glasses, and customers get to have a really fun, cool memento.”...

Read the full article in the Monterey County Herald.

Meet Monterey’s New-Wave Winemakers

From left to right; David Baird of Folktale Winery & Vineyards; Matt Piagari of Joullian Vineyards; and
Sam L. Smith of Morgan Winery

Wine Enthusiast Magazine
By Matt Kettmann

Monterey County is a historic and well-established viticultural region. Grapes sourced throughout the county serve as the backbone for many popular Central Coast cuvées, and the region is home to prestigious subappellations like Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands that are world-renowned for quality. It’s largely a land of tradition, ruled by generational families and corporate concerns that make it hard for new blood to establish itself.

But the Monterey winescape is changing. There’s an electricity buzzing across the county, as a growing contingent of adventurous vintners settles into urban wineries in Salinas and Marina, and established brands enlist the next generation of winemakers. Many have taken a renewed look at the Carmel Valley, while others discover forgotten vinelands that are also influenced by the Monterey Bay, like those in the adjacent San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties.

Unbound by the shackles of convention and attuned to the desires of millennial consumers, this emerging vanguard produces racy, exciting and even avant-garde bottlings, often at stunningly fair prices. Its efforts have reinvigorated respect for this geographically blessed cross section of California, where a diverse array of microclimates and soil types can produce a brilliant rainbow of wine styles.

Click here to read more.

Morgan: wine from a Monterey County pioneer

San Francisco Chronicle
By: Matt Kettmann

Dan Morgan Lee is a pioneering legend in this corner of Monterey County. Thirty five years after starting his winery, he continues to produce wines that wow at every price point, from the Cotes du Crow Rhone red blend to the top-tier, single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

Lee followed a traditional path to wine, studying at UC Davis and then apprenticing for Jekel Winery in Monterey. A job at Durney Vineyard in Carmel Valley followed, which is where he hatched an idea for his own winery with his wife, Donna, in 1982. In 1996, the Lees purchased Double L Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and have made it one of the appellation’s iconic properties.

Unlike most other tasting rooms in Carmel, which are found in the plazas and along the cobblestone sidewalks, the Morgan experience is housed in an upscale strip mall called Crossroads Carmel on the outskirts of the village. That usually means easier parking, a sunnier space with more room to spread out and, in this instance, a large gift shop. Inside, track lighting from the vaulted ceiling illuminates the long bar, and there are ample seating areas.

WHAT TO TRY: There are a variety of tasting options, including ones that mix both whites and reds and another that’s solely Pinot Noir-focused. There may also be an opportunity to try Lee Family Farm wines, which are more experimental batches of grapes such as Grenache and Tempranillo.

The full article can be viewed by clicking here.

Dan and Donna Lee have led Morgan Winery since ’82

The Californian
By: Tom Leyde

Had it not been for a wine class that Dan Lee took while attending UC Davis, the story of Morgan Winery would be quite different, or no story at all.

Lee, a native of Turlock, was a pre-med/pre-veterinarian student at the time. The wine class piqued his interest. He found it fun and wound up studying viticulture, and graduated from the university’s enology program in 1978. That led to his first job in Salinas Valley with Jeckel Vineyard in Greenfield, where he perfected his winemaking skills.

It also led to a dinner event where he met his life partner, Donna Morgan. She worked in agriculture finance and the die was cast. Morgan Winery was founded in 1982 in a warehouse off Abbott Street in Salinas.

Thirty-four years later, Morgan is a top producer of premium organic California wines. The brand is known throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and in several European countries. Wine drinkers know that when they uncork a bottle of Morgan wine that it will be a high-quality product.

The Lees are still producing wine in the warehouse where it all started. But things have changed. They now have 25 employees, a tasting room at the Cross Roads shopping center in Carmel and a 65-acre vineyard, the Double L Vineyard, in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

The Double L was named after their identical twin daughters (Double L for double luck), born in 1995. Annie and Jackie are now off on their own. Annie is a graduate of West Point and is serving in the Army. Jackie, who worked for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Monterey County, is taking up residence in San Francisco.

Founding Morgan Winery was a big risk for the Lees. There was a deep recession going on in 1982. But they were young and ambitious. Family members invested in their venture and they were off, while still working their regular jobs.

“I sold a motorcycle. That was my big contribution,” Lee said with a laugh.

Their fermentation tank was a stainless steel milk tank trailer, and the couple often spent evenings after work labeling bottles at the warehouse.

“That first year was an El Niño year,” Lee said. “It was a difficult harvest. We were sweating bullets.”

The rains produced detritus mold on the grapes, but it actually worked to the couple’s advantage for their first vintage.

“We took barrel samples around to retailers,” Lee said. “We took these little bottles of cloudy wine. People were very gracious, but they said, ‘Why don’t you bring it back when it’s ready.’

“We were naive and young and there was nothing to fall back on,” he said.

But the couple’s persistence and knowledge paid off in gold.

Their chardonnay won a gold medal at the 1983 L.A. County Fair. Then Wine Spirits magazine did a taste-off of the gold medal winners and their Morgan chardonnay won it, receiving a platinum medal. That led to a lot of positive press about Morgan wine.

With that lucky turn of events, the Lees launched the winery with 2,000 cases of chardonnay, and released it at the Monterey Wine & Food Festival at Laguna Seca.

“That was the first time anyone (local) had tasted the wine,” Lee said.

They sold out in a year.

“It was a really exiting beginning” he said.

Eventually, Morgan wines reached the table of then-Gov. Ronald Reagan. When he became president, Reagan had a representative call Lee and told him the president wanted 10 cases for a White House dinner. Lee checked his stock. He had only five cases of wine left and had to tell the president’s man he couldn’t deliver.

“To this day, I think he thinks I was sandbagging,” Lee said.

In the mid-1980s, the Lees changed jobs. Dan went to work for Durney Vineyard and Donna joined Wells Fargo Bank. Their winery output grew to 5,000 cases. They produced pino noir and cabernet and even did some zinfandel. They ventured into syrah and grenache.

In 1996, they bought their ranch. It was bare ground and they planted it in 1997. There are now 481/2 acres in grapes. The couple planted their grapes in a north-south line to take advantage of maximum sun and shade for the grapes. The ranch is certified organic.

“We wanted to be organic from the very beginning … ,” Lee said. “The whole purpose of this is wine quality … It’s the ultimate goal. … We kind of think of the vineyard as a more pure expression of the fruit there.”

The Double L Vineyard boasts 25 different clones on eight different rootstocks. Those rootstocks produced the winery’s flagship releases: the Double L Pino Noir and Double L Chardonnay.

The vineyard also offers single vineyard designate releases from three other Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards: Garys’, Rosella’s and Tondre. Grapes also are purchased from other local growers, including Paraiso, KW Ranch, Leavens, Fogstone and McIntyre.

The Lees continue to buy grapes from other vineyards to add to the different wines that Morgan produces.

Morgan Winery was named Winery of the Year in 1996 by Wine & Spirits magazine and in 2003 by the San Francisco Chronicle.

After more than three decades in the Monterey County wine industry, Lee has a long view of its history.

“The industry has matured, I think,” he said. “The quality of wine has improved and I think the wine business has become glamorized.”

A number of celebrities have started their own wine labels.

“That has not been real healthy,” Lee said. “I think the consumer is faced with almost overload.”

Now 63, Lee remains committed to producing premium wines from Monterey County grapes.

“I’m still having fun with it,” he said.

The full article can be viewed by clicking here.