Hahn and More

Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Welles Merlot 2002

Did I say I liked Indian Welles Cabernet? I like the merlot a lot, too. Deep and rich and not overwhelmingly tannic. Way way way worth the $2 more to upgrade from Chateau Ste. Michelle's everyday line.

HAHN ESTATES

These guys are coming up in the next wine tasting hosted at the store. They have some fascination with roosters, yet they are not Gallo. These are the guys who originally brought you Rex Goliath, the 47 pound rooster that everybody loves.

Hahn Monterray Merlot 2004

Yeah, this is okay. I mean, there's a little depth to the juice but it's pretty acidic and I'm pretty sure my bottle had just the slightest of slight cork taints.

Hahn Monterray Chardonnay 2004

Decent chardonnay, not too oaky but there's still some wood in there. Not a lot of fruit presence, but I might have been drinking it too cold. Decent, but I don't really think it's worth the price.

Hahn Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Why would they get their Cabernet juice - for this bottle and also the Meritage - from outside of Monterray? Even the back of the label on this bottle brags about how the family winery is in Monterray county. The juice here is sourced from out there somewhere in the Central Coast. Still, the wine has a great nose, right on profile for a cab. The wine itself is sort of simple, not totally lacking in complexities, but too full of mineral and pretty dry. Mineral finish, too, which lasts quite a while. I'm not crazy about it, but you might be.

Hahn Central Coast Meritage 2004

Tons of merlot on the nose, which is good, better than the merlot I had earlier. Really nice color. I must be a little spoiled because I wasn't really crazy about this one, either. I mean, it's got some character but it just doesn't jump out of the glass. Maybe I'm just too American, maybe it's the overall subdued fruit in the Hahn wines.

Smith & Hook Santa Lucia Highlands Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

From the really dark garnet color, you'll know this cab is serious. Bold tannins that don't overpower, but could use some age - two, three years? Deep, and like the Hahn wines, the fruit takes a back seat to the acidity and tannin, while fitting the varietal profile. As this is a Hahn selection, it will be the highlight of our upcoming wine tasting.

Renwood

A quick note about the Renwood Select Series. We tried these a few weeks ago, and I have to say that for wines less than $10, these knocked my socks off. I'd guess that the fact that the wines are out-of-the-spotlight varietals allows them to come out with some fantastic stuff. They're all really jammy and fruit-forward, but still full-bodied. Would be a really good step-up wine for someone trying to get into reds or more serious wines. Also a good every-day wine for a more serious wine drinker. Money money. Unfortunately, the zin we had was corked, but the syrah and berbera really caught my interest. Oh, and the Renwood viogneir was probably the best I've had.