Winemaker Notes
This special wine demonstrates the power and finesse of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It displays aromas of dark cherry, saddlewood, and sweet herbs. Flavors of wild cherry are complemented by notes of toasted oak and raspberry.
Perfectly poised with fresh acidity, this wine is incredibly food-versatile. It is a wonderful accompaniment to roast chicken and grilled salmon, as well as almost any duck, beef or lamb preparation.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Bright peach nose with a smooth texture; juicy with tangy cherries and vivacious acidity; long, balanced, and totally delicious.
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Wine Enthusiast
Snappy raspberry and sweet hibiscus aromas are layered with dewy herbs on the fresh nose of this bottling. The palate is both high toned and fruity, with fresh flavors of raspberry, dried rose petal and Earl Grey tea riding on zippy acidity
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir is one of top and most dependable wine on the California wine scene. The 2017 vintage is as good as I remembered. TASTING NOTES: This wine is light and bright on its feet while exhibiting beautiful elevation on the palate. Its aromas and flavors of jazzy and racy red fruits should pair well with a slowly-roast chicken. (Tasted: August 19, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
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.