Morgan G17 Syrah 2011

A few months ago we took a weekend trip down to Carmel with some friends to visit some wineries. Most of the places we went to were either ones that at least one of us had been to before or recommendations we got while we were there. Morgan was actually a place my hairstylist suggested. It was a little unusual in that their tasting room is in an upscale strip mall in Carmel, rather than down in tourist-quaint Carmel Valley. We were in a hurry to get drinking that day, so we showed up right at opening time and had the place to ourselves.

Most of the wineries in the Carmel area focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, since they grow so nicely in the nearby Santa Lucia Highlands. Morgan does too, but also a little unusually they have some syrahs from the same region. They have both high end and low end, but the G17 is on the low end, around $22. It is from Monterey, so the vines were local.

It has a deep dark color, not quite inky but a very appealing dark purple. The nose has ripe berries, nutmeg, and I can detect some canteloupe in there. When I tasted it right after it was opened, I thought the heat really overwhelmed everything else. It just went right up to the top of my mouth and stayed there. I let it open up for about an hour, and it had mellowed out a lot. Now the heat was a lot less noticeable and rather the taste lingered more in a good way. There are notes of stone fruit, still some of that melon, and baking spices.

This could be a great table wine, just remember to open it at least an hour before you plan to drink it. It's worth the wait.