Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419
A Helping Hahn WITH A CuLINARY CENTER FOR THE TRADE IN THE WORKS, HAHN FAMILY WINES CREATES A FOCAL POINT IN THE SANTA LuCIA HIGHLANDS AVA Nicky Hahn 2009 Signature Series Pinot Gris, Monterey County is mineral-fresh, with delicate pear and green apple notes. Chef Brian Overhauser, the winery's full-time on-site chef is inspired by Hahn's line of food-driven wines to lead him on the way to developing pair-perfect menus. A view of the Hahn estate vineyards and the Pinnacles mountain range is in the distance. C hef Brian Overhauser leans over a balcony on the patio outside Hahn's Vineyard House, an oasis on the sprawling property that rests against the Santa Lucia foothills. He points to an empty space near the estate's Hook Vineyard. Once a cattle ranch, this 123-acre vineyard is home to 14 clones of Pinot Noir and three clones of Chardonnay. Its proximity to the vines makes it a stimulating site for the new "Chef's Kitchen" culinary center that will be built to entertain the trade, an idea that Hahn President Bill Leigon and Overhauser devised. We join Hahn winemaker Paul Clifton for an al fresco dinner overlooking the estate's three adjacent vineyard sites: Doctor's, Smith and Hook Vineyards. The Hahn Family now owns nearly 1,000 acres of vineyards within the appellation, from the rocky Lone Oak Vineyard in the north to Ste. Philippe and Ste. Nicolas Vineyards in southerly Arroyo Seco. With a shortage of Pinot Noir grapes in other parts of the state, Clifton assures us that Hahn has plenty of fruit. "Appellations outside of Monterey were hit hard from the last two years of cold and wet harvests with some heat spikes in-between—and 2011 may be a shortage year too. Despite the potential challenges, we are fortunate that our vineyard holdings ensure that we have enough grapes for all of our wine brands. Wineries and producers from outside the area are swooping into our county for Pinot Noir grapes. The demand is good for our appellation, but we use everything we grow." It was in the early '70s that Nicky Hahn and his wife Gaby found two neighboring horse and cattle ranches on what is now the Hahn SLH Estate. But Hahn's image has grown up. With an upgraded look in its packaging and labels, along with replanting, new vineyard sites and the Lucienne winery within a winery, dramatic changes are unfolding. —Meridith May Hahn winemaker Paul Clifton. 80 / the tasting panel / september 201 1 Hahn Grows Up Lucienne 2009 Pinot Noir, Lone Oak Vineyards, Santa Lucia Vineyards is an example of Hahn's winery- within-a-winery concept. Lucienne is a showcase "gem" that utilizes a melding of separately-aged and -barreled small lots from five different clones. Despite a masculine flavor profile (olives, brandied plums and sweet meat), the wine remains elegant, with a wave of silky tannins.