Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Crystalline cranberry, concentrated violets and rose petals and a shred of cola show on the nose of this upper-level bottling from one of the appellation’s longtime stars. The palate shows graphite and dried strawberry fruit amped up with woody coyote scrub elements, reflective of the chaparral that surrounds the property.
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Wine Spectator
Impressive, showing density, concentration, depth and persistence, with layers of blackberry, mocha, cedar, spice and berry pie. Finishes with a strong presence. Drink now through 2021.Smart Buy
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Can one have its cake and eat it too? The 2013 Hahn SLH Pinot Noir is a really fascinating animal. On the one hand, it shows classic earth and all that stuff and on the other hand, it comes back with a mouth-coating suppleness that is almost too smooth and endearing. I don't know whether I should stand up in a sports bar and drink this one or sit in a bistro and savor it with a rack of lamb. This must be one of the multi-purpose wines. Yes, I can have my cake and eat it too! Deep ruby, garnet color; zippy herbs, with black fruit in the nose; medium bodied, lots of smooth textures with an accent of tobacco after a bath in oodles of black fruit richness; long and lacy in the aftertaste. (Tasted: December 17, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
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Tasting Panel
Black cherry and rich plum; juicy and lush with spice and velvety texture; clean, long and balanced.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.