Grenache Blanc, How I Love Thee

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the winery

This wine hid in my basement. Which is a total shame since it appears it’s now sold out.  However if they decide to make it again, you should go get some. Quickly apparently.  I still want to tell you about it though so you know it’s yummy and will be aware of it next time they release some.  The wine in question? The 2009 Hahn Grenache Blanc, which clocked in at 13.5% alcohol by volume and had a real cork closure.

Four takeaways from this wine:

1.) For the quality and price point I find Hahn wines to be some of the best around.

2.) I love Grenache Blanc. You should too.

3.) We drank this with grilled chicken. Perfection.

4.) I would really like Hahn to make it again.

On the nose I got apple, flowers, white pepper, pineapple, star fruit, tropical notes, yellow apple, coconut cream, grapefruit, and lemon.  In the mouth I got apple, pear, star fruit, grapefruit, lemon, and an herbal note. Overall, I found the wine to be light and fresh.

Filed under: California, Hahn, White, Wine | 2 Comments »

Getting Into Grenache

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Hahn Family Wines

Grenache is one of those grapes I wish people would pay more attention to, as it makes some wonderfully aromatic wines that I just adore.  I know it’s scary to try new things 😉 but I urge everyone to go out this year and at least try a bottle of Grenache. Or a GSM (Grenache, Syrah Mourvedre) blend, the traditional place many people find the Grenache grape. Give it a go, it will be worth it.  You could start here with the 2009 Hahn Grenache, a lovely little bottle of wine that we cracked open the other evening. The 2009 Hahn clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, hails from the Santa Lucia Highlands, had a Diam closure, and retails for…well, I’m not sure, but I’m guessing it’s in line with the other Hahn wines in the Grenache line, somewhere in the $12-$16 range. I know it was a fairly limited production wine, and it might be sold out, but keep an eye out for the 2010 if this one is gone.

On the nose I got pomegranate, cherries, flowers, spice, white pepper, black cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Fantastic aromatic nose that just jumped out of the glass and made you want to jump into it.  In the mouth I found black cherry, pepper, earth, blackberry, vanilla, and raspberry.  Displaying tons of acidity and juicy fresh fruit, this wine and a roaring fire made for a very relaxing evening in the Wannabe Wino house.

Filed under: California, Grenache, Hahn, Red, Wine | 1 Comment »

Back in the SLH

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Hahn Winery.

The Santa Lucia Highlands that is.  Last year at the Wine Blogger Conference I met Lisa from Hahn Winery and got to take home a couple bottles of Hahn wine, including a Pinot Gris from the SLH series that I really enjoyed.  Lisa was in attendance again this year, bearing even more wines from the Hahn family of wineries, and I grabbed a bottle of the 2007 SLH Estate Hahn Syrah on the recommendation of Thea (I’m trying to be better about the linking thing, I’ve noticed a marked decrease of cross linking around the wine blog world recently) and she’s never steered me wrong, so into my case it went. It clocked in at 14.7% alcohol by volume, had a real cork closure, and retails for around $24.

On the nose the Syrah seemed pretty peppery at first, but it wasn’t overwhelming and it integrated quickly. The rest of the nose revealed chocolate, rich black plums, meat, sweet oak, blackberry, and dark fruit. It just smelled fresh.  In the mouth, this is one heck of a spicy Syrah, so if you like that kind of thing, this is for you.  I got pepper, earth, blackberry, black plum, black cherry,  anise, and violets.  The wine had a long finish, great structure, and nice acidity.  I found the fruit to be velvety and smooth.  I really wanted lamb with the SLH Syrah!

Filed under: California, Hahn, Red, Syrah, WBC, Wine | 5 Comments »

Meritage: Just Another Way to Say I Love You

Posted on February 10, 2009 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Hahn Winery

Okay, well, clearly I’m kidding. But really, Meritage is a term used to describe red wine blends made from traditional Bordeaux grapes. So basically it’s a fancy way of saying “Red Blend.” But that’s cool, I dig red blends, a lot.  The wine in question is the 2006 Hahn Meritage from the Central Coast of California. At the Wine Blogger Conference last year, Wine Diver Girl acted as a dealer of Hahn Wine. She had a trunk full of samples and doled them out to wine bloggers who had responded to her offer of samples. I count myself among the lucky to get them.  The Hahn Meritage had a real cork closure, clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, and retails for around $13.  For $13, this is quite a nice little table wine.

On the nose I found blueberries, blackberries, vanilla cream, chocolate, slight red fruit, spice, and pepper.  Overall, the nose showed lots of yummy dark fruit.  In the mouth I got flavors of dark juicy berries, blackberries, cherries, plums, little sweet fruit/vanilla, red cherry, some raspberries, and chocolate.

Overally, I thought this wine represented a really great value. For $13, this is an easy drinking everyday red that would stand up well to food as it had nice acidity and structure.

Filed under: California, Hahn, Red, Wine | 3 Comments »

Delicious Pinot Gris

Posted on January 4, 2009 by Sonadora

Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Hahn Winery.

I’ve been sitting on two samples of wine from Hahn winery since I went to the Wine Blogger Conference and Wine Diver Girl handed them to me.  We just haven’t (despite the continuance of posts here) been drinking as much as we normally do from our own stock since it’s the holidays and we’ve been out and about on the town quite a bit.  I’m much looking forward to the Meritage that I have left to try, however, I chose the 2007 Hahn SLH Pinot Gris for this evening.  The wine clocks in at 14.2% alcohol by volum, had a real cork closure, and is available for $20 from Hahn.

Before I had a chance to smell or taste the wine (often happens since I usually pour Matt a glass before I set up my photos) Matt declared the wine “good.”  That’s high praise from him, since I often ask him what he thinks and the answer is normally “I don’t know, it’s fine.”

When I smelled it, the pear knocked me over.  I loved it! It smelled like fresh pear! I also found orange zest, mandarin, citrus, white peach, lemon, and a hint of vanilla of the nose.  In the mouth I got tropical fruit, pear, lemon, green apple, and tons more pear.

I really enjoyed this wine.  Overall, I found it to be crisp, tast, and a little viscous on the back palate.  The fruit was fresh and clean.  I imagine this a perfect porch wine for the summer.

Filed under: California, Hahn, Pinot Gris, White, Wine | 1 Comment »