Hahn SLH Pinot Noir 2019

“Even though Paul Clifton has been making the wines at Hahn since 2003, he still doesn’t receive his due when wine lovers are talking about the surest hands in California, especially with Pinot Noir.” -Vinous

Nicky and Gaby Hahn first came to California’s Monterey County in the mid 1970s. The Swiss-born couple with
a passion for wine quickly recognized that this mountainous region had every element vital to growing premium wine grapes: alluvial soils that provide excellent drainage, plenty of sunshine to develop rich, ripe fruit, and enough fog and wind to keep grape acids in perfect harmony.

From the start, Nicky realized the area’s potential as a world-class wine growing region and committed himself to producing distinctive wines worthy of competition on a global scale. The family started investing in the land, building the winery, and planting grapes in their first two of six estate vineyards: Smith and Hook.

In 1980, the grapes grown on the hillside vineyards surrounding the winery became the Hahn’s first vintage of commercially available wine. Later in the 1980s, Nicky furthered his commitment to quality by driving efforts to
establish the Santa Lucia Highlands as its own AVA.

The family’s 2019 SLH Pinot Noir is fantastic. All three big wine publications agreed, giving this at least 90 points, with Wine Enthusiast giving it an Editors’ Choice designate and Vinous giving it a loud 91-point review. This is easily one of the better values in California Pinot Noir…especially at this special price.