#305 OMG US YN OK

I hate internet vernacular.  I despise the fact that everything has to be shortened to save time in typing but even more than that, people are now speaking these abbreviations.  My colleagues at work are doing this all the time and it drives me mad.  I hate it that phrases like "LOLS" is used, as is "WTF", "FML", "ROTFL" and "WOOT" are being banded about with monotonous regularity, and yet I have to accept this as part of modern society.  I blame the fact that I work in a university town and this sort of vocabulary is popular amongst teenagers, and it has filtered up the age scale to my 30 something co-workers who should have grown out of that sort of behaviour by now.

I watched the outstanding film "The Kings Speech" recently and at the end, when war is declared against Germany, there is a scene with a bunch of young soldiers in the back of a military vehicle, listening to King George VI on the radio.  These actors were all in their twenties, and I am certain that at the end of a days shooting, they would go onto Twitter or Facebook and be LOLing with their M8s until they had ROTFLed.  But the characters they were playing, soldiers from 18 years upwards, would be going off to fight against the Third Reich rather than shooting aliens in a PS3 computer game.  And their fathers had to do the same thing in the First World War, and, in America, their sons had to in Vietnam.  But the current generation, fortunately, can continue being juvenile right up to their thirties if they wish, fortunate that there hasn't been a war that has resulted in conscription and forced them to grow out of their blissful ignorance to the horrors of the real world. 

The blissful ignorance of harsh realities has been something that American wine producers have been able to hide behind for decades, safe in the knowledge that in America, American wine rules.  Now they are having to begin to wake up and realise that there are other countries producing wine, and selling lots in America.  The American market is becoming more educated, and the international market doesn't always want their senses obliterated by big, jammy, sweet wines.  The result is that more and more producers are looking at where they are located, working with the terroir and producing some outstanding wines of finesse and subtlety.  Unfortunately though, these wines are quite often at high price points so, on the international market, they are rarely seen.  However, I was recently invited to a lunch with a producer who is producing a more refined selection of wines, with subtlety, acidity and balance, but where this producer stood out from the crowd is that they start at an affordable price point.

2009 Morgan Winery Sauvignon Blanc £13.50
Light bready aromas mixed with a little plasticine.  Some very light elderflower and mango pith.  The palate is a touch alcoholic with a peppery element.  Good balance on the finish with just a touch of heat.  7/10

2008 Morgan Winery Metallico Unoaked Chardonnay £17
Very soft, some tropical fruit aromas that are very nice.  Quite subtle with lemon notes.  The palate is lemony, with melon and grapefruit flavours.  A lovely, clean and well balanced wine.  7.5/10

2008 Morgan Winery Highland Chardonnay £19
Vanilla and sherbet lemon on the nose with a touch of herbs.  Quite lovely.  The palate is clean with an oily texture, some nice oaky elements just kissing your palate.  It is very good.  8.5/10

2008 Morgan Winery Double L Chardonnay £28
Very zesty, lots of lemon with a delicious zing!  The palate is very soft with a lovely mineral element and gentle pithy flavours.  A touch of cedar on the finish that rounds up a very pleasant drinking experience, even though there is a touch of alcohol.  8/10

2008 Morgan Winery Twelve Clones Pinot Noir £22
Very soft with strawberries & cream and a touch of cranberry acidity.  The palate is gentle at first, then with a spicy, alcoholic fruit element.  Crunch berries, high acid and some alcohol.  A long, warming finish with lots of cherry flavours.  Very tasty but a food wine.  8/10

2007 Morgan Winery Double L Pinot Noir £27
Quite dumb on the nose at first but then it kicks in with a lovely sweet cherry menthol aroma seasoned with a little clove.  The palate is gentle with soft, clean fruit, and then some earthier tones.  A really lovely finish, soft and with fresh berries all over it.  8.5/10

2008 Morgan Winery Cotes du Crows £15
Big and funky with lots of sweet fruit but definitely darker fruits.  This Syrah and Grenache blend is very juicy with a little sweet jam and cream on the nose.  The palate is full with spicy notes, very bright and with a lovely texture.  Dried cherries on the finish with some alcohol spikes, but a stunning wine for the money.  8.5/10

I know that these wines aren't every day drinkers, but ranging from beneath £15 is a good starting point for wines that are both European in influence, yet definitely American.  Give them a shot when you are next spending hours LOLing on the internet.