Morgan 2005 Pinot Gris, Franscioni Vineyard

*Recommended Wine:
Morgan Winery 2005 Pinot Gris, Franscioni Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
On the nose, notes of bananas, minerals, nuts, figs, lime zest, are noted, along with a floral note. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and refreshing, finishing crisp and bone dry, an excellent foil for assorted crustaceans and light seafood.

Winemaking Notes:
Following a gentle whole cluster pressing, Pinot Gris is cold fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of the fruit. After fermentation the wine is racked into three year-old French oak barrels for three months to soften the texture slightly and add complexity without oak flavors. The wine was bottled in March to capture the bright flavors and crisp acidity.

Vineyard Notes:
The R&D Franscioni Vineyard is directly across from Rosella’s Vineyard in the northern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands on sandy loam soils on the east-facing bench lands overlooking the Salinas Valley. The Santa Lucia Highlands region is rated Zone 1 (coolest) on the UC Davis scale and summer daytime temperatures average only in the mid-70’s.

Vintage Notes:
This is our sixth single vineyard Pinot Gris from the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. The 2005 vintage was a long, cool vintage, with the first Pinot Gris picking on September 12th and the second and final picking on September 22nd. The long, cool season with typical temperatures produced fine quality fruit with good acid retention.