We head to the Monterey region in California for the next installment of this Pinot Noir mini-series to try a wine from Hahn Estates. Nicolaus Hahn released his first wine from this winery in 1980 under the Smith & Hook Winery name, and didn’t start producing wine under the Hahn name until 1991.  They still produce wine with the Smith & Hook name today—as well as a couple other labels—but the majority of wines from this producer are released under the Hahn label.

The Monterey wine region is south of the better known Napa and Sonoma regions in California.  Yet it still has exceptional wine growing conditions and produces many wonderful wines.  And this Pinot Noir is a great example of the wines that can come from this region.

I found a lot of complexity in the nose on this wine, with blackberry, vanilla, licorice, plum, spice and subtle earthy notes all blending together to create an interesting and enjoyable bouquet.  The palate is fairly fruity, with blackberry, raspberry and strawberry flavors.  It’s well balanced and delivers silky smooth tannins.  The finish is lingering and has a little spice too it.  One interesting observation is that the 14.5% alcohol level is the highest of any Pinot Noir that’s been reviewed here.

Overall, this is a great wine for the price.  And I’m not the only one to find this to be a great wine.  It won a  double-gold award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and was named the best Pinot Noir and Best of Class at Jerry Mead’s New World International Wine Competition.

Wine: Hahn – Monterey
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $15.00

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