Highway "G17" connects several AVAs in Monterey County. Follow this road to find delicious wine.
Grapes are used from Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards (Paraiso, Double L, Rodnick, Mission).
Fermented in open-top tanks with daily punchdowns, this preserves the beautiful flavors while maintaining the elegant tannins. Transferred to French oak barrels for 10 months of ageing. 20% new oak gives the wine a delicate spice and vanilla character without overpowering the elegant fruitiness.
Aromas of rich black fruit, candied raspberries and savory spices jump out of the glass. Medium-bodied with a refreshing acidity, it also has flavors of purple fruit and smoked meat.
Dan Morgan Lee had been paying attention to the Santa Lucia Highlands and purchasing high-quality grapes from there even before the area was approved as an AVA. The Santa Lucia Highlands, where the fruit grows for a long period due to the cool winds from Monterey Bay, is the leading grape-producing region in Monterey, which was approved as an AVA in 1991.
Lee, who originally studied veterinary medicine, encountered winemaking while attending UC Davis and decided to make wine. After training at several wineries, Lee founded Morgan Winery in 1982 and is now known as one of the most high-quality and consistent premium wine producers in the Monterey region. In 1996, he purchased a 65-acre vineyard and named it Double L (Lucky) Vineyard, a nod to the good fortune of having twin daughters. When he first purchased the vineyard, the soil was not necessarily ideal, but he chose to improve the soil himself, and in 2001 Double L Vineyard was the first in Santa Lucia Highlands to be certified as organically grown. Lee, who is serious about the environment, manages his vineyards in an organic, water-saving, and energy-saving manner. As a result, he is also certified as "SIP-Sustainability in Practice" (sustainable environmental conservation wine production), and is the only winery in Santa Lucia Highlands to have both certifications.
Morgan produces high-quality wines using grapes from top growers such as Double L Vineyard, Garry's Vineyard, and Rosella's Vineyard. "My goal is to make wines that faithfully reflect the characteristics of the terroir and the characteristics of the grape varieties," says Lee.
*The Wine Institute and the Wine Growers Association jointly established the California Sustainable Wine Alliance, a system that certifies the efforts of wineries and grape growers.