I met Brad Martin, Director of Sales & Marketing, at the winery offices on an industrial estate in Salinas, who led me through Morgan’s wines.

2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey, Morgan, 13.5%
100% tank fermented, 85% of the resulting wine is aged for three months in French oak, 10% of which is new, without malolactic fermentation. This is very unusual on the nose for a sauvignon blanc (though there’s a touch of semillon in it too): there’s a hint of grass with some tropical fruit.  Open and fairly crisp on the palate, it has quite a marked acidity on the finish.  Just a bit un-special.  Good/Very Good.  84/100

2005 Chardonnay Metallico, Monterey, Morgan, 13.5%
100% tank fermented without malolactic fermentation; it sees just a bit of old, netural oak.  The grapes come mainly from the Arroyo Seco appellation in the centre of the Salinas valley.  The Salinas Valley confusingly forms the main Monterey appellation, which stretches inland some 80 miles or so from Monterey Bay.
The wine has a very aromatic, very crisp, slightly appley nose.  Very pure and precise on the palate.  Quite crisp and very clean indeed.  Very refreshing.  Very Good Indeed.  89/100

2005 Highland Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Morgan, 14.2%
The fruit for this comes entirely from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, largely from Morgan’s Double L Vineyard.  It is entirely fermented in barrels, aged for 10 months in 30% new oak with 65% malolactic fermentation.
It has a musky, perfumed, creamy nose and a good, round fruit palate.  This is more obviously Californian than the Metallico, but it’s still got a fairly high acidity.  Very Good+.  87/100

2005 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones, Santa Lucia Highlands, Morgan,
55% of the fruit comes from Morgan’s Double L Vineyard, the remainder from other top vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands.  It was aged for 11 months in 40% new barrels and is bottled unfined.
It has quite a reticent red fruits nose with some minerality.  Very clean, yet lively on the palate.  Quite precise, and with a nice acidity, giving it a fairly elegant feel.  Very Good.  As it sits in the glass, it grows on me.  89/100

2005 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, Morgan, 14.5%
100% pinot noir from Morgan’s own Double L Vineyard; aged for 11 months in 50% new oak; bottled unfined.
This has a very attractive nose, with complex layers of red fruits.  Very attractive on the palate: immediately, there are layers of flavours and super complexity, together with a nice depth and lovely balance too.  A pretty much perfect pinot noir.  Excellent.  95/100

2004 Syrah, Monterey, Morgan, 14.4%
From vineyards in the middle of the Salinas Valley, this is made the same way as the pinot: open top fermenters with manual punch down; aged in French oak (25% new) for 14 months. 
It has a very fragrant, black fruit nose – distinctly fruity rather than meaty.  This is a very precise, focussed, fruity syrah.  The forward fruit makes it feel a touch simple, but it is a nice, pleasant syrah.  Very Good/Very Good Indeed.  88/100