Michaela Morris

Vancouver, Victoria

Wine writer, educator & presenter. Contributes @Decanter Meininger's & @quench_mag DipWSET, VIA Italian Wine Expert & MW student

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Articles

Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba: These 25 bottles prove it’s not all about Barolo

3 weeks ago | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

For all the attention lavished on Barolo and Barbaresco, the noble Nebbiolo grape gets very little of its own airtime. What is Nebbiolo when it isn’t either of these? In the greater Langhe area – which also includes Roero – the answer is two confusingly overlapping denominations of Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba. Without going into the minutiae of the specific regulations that distinguish the two, together these two DOCs provide producers with an outlet for non-DOCG interpretations.
BARBARESCO VINTAGE REPORT: 2020 | Quench Magazine

1 month ago | quench.me | Michaela Morris

Climatically, there wasn’t a specific incident or marked extreme to define the vintage – no frost, hailstorms, severe drought or untimely deluge. In the vineyard, growers found tranquility amidst the global mayhem. Consistent with current trends, the winter was dry – with little rain or snow to build water reserves. Spring began under the same unseasonably dry conditions.
BAROLO VINTAGE REPORT: 2019 | Quench Magazine

2 months ago | quench.me | Michaela Morris

The winter was long and much drier than usual, but April’s generous rains replenished reserves. By mid-May, the cool wet conditions resulted in the growing season being two weeks behind current norms – but consistent with patterns in the past. When temperatures finally shot up in June, the well-watered soil yielded rapid growth. Summer continued with heat spikes at the end of June and again end of July.
Barolo 2021: Top value picks

Mar 28, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

The 2021 Barolo vintage has arrived, and it’s making waves. Tastings reveal a vintage of striking character, ripe fruit, and formidable structure, hinting at impressive longevity. But some wines miss the mark, highlighting the vintage’s nuanced complexity. Certain communes shine, while others deliver mixed results. And while the 2021 vintage offers charismatic, ageable Barolos, high prices for the most in-demand bottles can be a challenge.
Barbaresco 2022 vintage: The hot vintage paradox & pick of the 2020 Riservas

Mar 26, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

The 2022 Barbaresco vintage presents a paradox: a hot, dry growing season yielding wines that defy expectations, often showing surprising freshness and purity. However, quality is inconsistent, with some wines exhibiting leanness and higher-than-usual volatile acidity. This report explores the challenges faced by producers which led to earlier-than-average harvests and lower yields.
Barolo 2021: Vintage report & top wines from 'a modern benchmark'

Mar 24, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

The 2021 Barolo vintage has arrived, and it’s making waves. Tastings reveal a vintage of striking character, ripe fruit, and formidable structure, hinting at impressive longevity. But some wines miss the mark, highlighting the vintage’s nuanced complexity. Certain communes shine, while others deliver mixed results. Discover which regions and specific vineyards are producing the most compelling wines, and which to approach with caution.
Luce exclusive: 30 vintages of an under-the-radar Super Tuscan

Feb 13, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

Launched in 1997 with the simultaneous release of 1993 and 1994, this Super Tuscan was born as a collaboration between two formidable wine families: Robert Mondavi brought California’s modern sheen to Frescobaldi’s rustic Tuscan charms. Over the years, Luce has garnered high praise for its opulence and power. To chart its history, I sat down with 30th generation and company president, Lamberto Frescobaldi for an exclusive interview with Decanter and a vertical tasting of all 30 vintages.
Best value Brunello di Montalcino 2020: 10 to buy

Jan 22, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

When it comes to a distinguished wine like Brunello di Montalcino, value is a relative concept. The challenge in 2020 is finding less expensive examples that deliver the structure and complexity the denomination implies. As a reminder, value doesn’t simply mean the cheapest price. In this vintage, shelling out just a little bit more might result in a substantial increase in bang-for-your-buck.
Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Riserva: 10 picks from a triumphant return to form

Jan 20, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

‘Riserva is the first wine I forfeit to make a better Brunello,’ declares Tommaso Cortonesi (Cortonesi). In 2019, he and his colleagues didn’t need to make such sacrifices. ‘2019 is unequivocally a Riserva year’. Given the sheer number of bottlings previewed – upwards of 100 – 2019 is unequivocally a Riserva year. Even the most selective producers made a separate Riserva bottling – at Le Potazzine, it was only the estate’s fifth ever.
Brunello di Montalcino 2020: Vintage report and 20 top picks

Jan 20, 2025 | decanter.com | Michaela Morris

A hot and dry summer, with nights cooling in September and rain towards the end of the month. Graciously structured, seductive and immediately harmonious wines promise immense pleasure now and over the mid-term. The global pandemic seems like a ghost of the distant past, yet as I tasted through the newly released 2020 Brunello di Montalcinos, inevitable references to that strange period kept cropping up.