OK, so we’ve been posting some reviews for bargain-priced merlot lately but how can we really know how these are measuring up if we don’t taste some higher-end pinot noir? Well, I’m not going to taste any really high-end pinots, but I’ve gotten a couple that are over our typical $20 price limit. And rather than let them go to waste, why not taste them? 😉
In fact, let’s make it a full week of not-so-cheap wine ratings. I’ll review a couple pinot noirs that are over $20 and David has a couple pricey merlots to review. But don’t worry, we’ll get back to the cheap stuff after this week.
The wine I’m reviewing today is from Hahn Family Wines and their SLH Estate, which stands for Santa Lucia Highlands. This is a cool climate wine region where the vines are planted on the southeast facing terraces of the Santa Lucia mountains, overlooking the Salinas River Valley. As a cool climate region, it’s particularly good for pinot noir and chardonnay.
Hahn has four different vineyards within this appellation, totaling 650 acres. These vineyards range in elevation from 200 – 1,200 feet. And the wine they’re producing from it is nothing short of impressive.
Some people hate this descriptor, but I find the nose of this wine to be nice and round. By that, I mean the opposite of sharp. With some wines, the aromas hit you in one spot and have a sharp feel to them as you smell them, but this wine has a soft feel to the aromas. One that gently hits your nasal passages. I guess you could call it “smooth.” The aromas are ripe plum, cherry, tree sap and a little bit of nutmeg.
The palate also has a smooth aspect to it, with a really pleasant mouthfeel and flavors that spread across your whole tongue. It has flavors of blackberry, black cherry, cola and bacon fat. The finish is exceptionally long and brimming with mouth-watering plum flavors. This is a really, really nice wine.
Wine: Hahn SLH Estate Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 93
Price: $35.00
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.