Winemaker Notes
This wine shows inky purple hues in the glass. Attractive aromas of licorice and brambleberry, with white pepper and violets in the background, are supported by black fruit and leather on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2016 Morgan Double L Vineyard Syrah is on a par with the best wines from this grape variety grown anywhere in the world. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows concentration, yet it stays refined. Its formidable aromas and flavors of black fruit, chalk, and earth remain long into the wine's finish. Pair it with a slowly-braised lamb stew. (Tasted: August 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
A step up, the 2016 Syrah Double L is all Syrah that spent 14 months in 26% new French oak. It has terrific purity of fruit as well as notes of bloody meats, iron, violets, and pepper. Medium to full-bodied, polished, and nicely balanced, it has one foot in the northern Rhône and one foot firmly in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
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James Suckling
Lots of crush black peppers, cloves and dark fruits follow through to a full body with medium tannins. A tar, spice and dark-fruit finish. Asphalt undertones. Drink now.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.