Smith & Hook Hahn Meritage Red 1998

Bordeaux Red Blends from Central Coast, California

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Product Details

Varietal

Bordeaux Red Blends

Region

Central Coast, California

Producer

Smith & Hook Winery

Vintage

1998

Size

750ML

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Bursting with fruit, the wine has initial aromas of ripe plums, black cherries and Boysenberries. A hint of vanilla from some of the newer barrels adds to the complexity of this wine. The flavors closely follow the nose with a nice acid profile and firm but softening tannins. Drinking well now, the wine will age for another 5 to 7 years. Excellent food pairings include leg of lamb, beef tenderloin, most red pasta dishes and more flavorful poultry, such as duck or goose. Following the exciting success of our 1996 Meritage, we offer the 1997 vintage, one of abundant grapes of outstanding quality. Meritage, by definition, is the best wine produced under an individual brand, with no restrictions as to maximum or minimum ratios of the Bordeaux varietals.

Wonderful weather throughout 1997 aided in the production of this spectacular wine. The weather was perfect from bud-break, continued through bloom and lasted well into the September harvest for most of the grapes in this wine. While most of the varietals were harvested and fermented separately, some of the Merlot and Malbec were fermented together, continuing the tradition of the previous vintage.

Varietal Content: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 27% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc

Smith & Hook Winery

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Smith & Hook Winery Smith Vineyard Winery Image

Smith & Hook Winery Hook Vineyard Winery Image

Smith & Hook Winery Winemaker Megan McCollough Winery Image

The Smith Ranch was a horse ranch for generations, while to the south, the Hooks raised cattle. We discovered these ranches in a search for the ideal place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. The climate along the western slopes of the Santa Lucias was perfect, and the ranch had a beautiful view of the Salinas Valley. So in 1974, we purchased the two ranches and established the Smith & Hook Winery on the old Smith Ranch. We made our first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1979 and quickly developed a reputation for excellence. Hahn Estates represents a continuation of the Smith & Hook tradition of excellence in winemaking. The Hahns own over 1,400 acres of vineyards in Monterey County. Grapes from the different vineyards vary in character and style. With such versatility, we can create supple, accessible wines. In German, "Hahn" means "rooster," and for this reason, a rooster embellishes the Hahn Estates label.

Bordeaux Blends

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One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.

Central Coast Wine

California

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The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.

Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.

While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.

VWD2801125_1998 Item# 39509