When I got the email from Seth at Morgen Long Wines announcing the release of three new cuvees from the 2015 vintage, I was excited. I jumped on the inaugural 2014 release based on the strong recommendation from someone here on these boards. I popped one, was very impressed, and cellared the rest. When the email came out, I had a business trip planned to Oregon and thought, on a whim, I might as well pick up the wines when I was there. Seth very graciously and generously agreed to meet me and open all three of the wines to taste.
Seth is a passionate guy, and I was really struck with how well he balances traditions of working with Chardonnay grape (from his time in Burgundy) with also independence, and a desire to (in some ways) do his own thing. It’s a nice combination of respecting what the Burgundians have already perfected, learning from that, but applying his own Oregon twist to the process. He’s also very respectful and appreciative of the guidance and help from other vintners in OR and WA (and France). I like how one of his main philosophies is to keep oak treatment very consistent from vintage to vintage. In other words, resisting the urge to oak some years more (hotter years vs. cold years) and others less, in an effort to let the vintage, and what that translates into the raw material, shine through.
The wines were served cool, but not cold. The light was dim, so I couldn’t really see the color very much. There are just impressions, not thorough tasting notes. All three wines were distinct, and all were very good. This is the order in which we tasted:
2015 Morgen Long Wines Chardonnay Willamette Valley - aromas of peach skin, lemon rind. Great balance of some roundness on the palate with a lot of acidity. Lean and austere, but not painfully so. Grapefruit, mineral flavors…persistent finish. This saw no new wood, and it shows. Lip-smacking and really tasty.
2015 Morgen Long Wines Chardonnay Yamhill Vineyards Yamhill-Carlton - on the nose, there was an almost pepper-like or flinty note , and a lovely jasmine/white flower note to marry with the under-ripe white peach and citrus aromas. A great blast of lemon oil on the palate, and some gravel. Seth notes this is the most similar, to him, to the single cuvee he made in 2014. Just a slight step up in complexity and weight, but so zippy and mouthwatering.
2015 Morgen Long Wines Chardonnay ‘Sandi’ Willamette Valley - some barely noticeable oak influence on the nose (ever so slight, and well-done). Rounder on the palate with more pronounced fruit, Rainier cherry, kumquat, lemon zest. Again, a consistently energetic verve in all three of these wines is present in the Sandi. With the most pronounced fruit, this actually has the lowest residual sugar of all three.
In short, I thought these wines were exciting, unique, and definitely worth a buy. Buttery, rich Chardonnays these aren’t. They’re mouthwatering, tight, acidic, exciting wines and represent a fine lineup, top to bottom. Thanks for the time, Seth!