Hahn Winery Central Coast Meritage - Make Mine A Meritage Wine #2

2010-Hahn-Winery-Central-Coast-Meritage — This ain't no second class Bordeaux.

48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot from Central Coast, California.

Sample submitted for review. SRP of $18 and available for as low as $12.

From the bottle:

"Hahn Winery began in 1980 through the vision of Nicky and Gaby Hahn. The Hahns' children, Philip and Caroline, share their parents' pioneering spirit and passion for wine. As the next generation of leadership, they represent the family's continuing commitment to high-quality, handcrafted wines.

14.5% Alcohol"

Today's wine is the second in our new series on Meritage. In our last post, we gave a brief overview of Meritage wines, a term that was created in the late 1980's because of a desire to distinguish California wines blended from the traditional Bordeaux varieties. This desire likely dates all the way back to the infamous "Judgement of Paris" in 1976 when a blind tasting ranked California red and white wines ahead of the very best and most renowned French wines. (Much to the horror of the French, even the French judges chose the wines from California!) Years later, California vintners decided they needed their own term to reflect the high quality of their Bordeaux style blends, and the term Meritage was born.

This new category seems to have struck a chord with consumers because according to the Meritage Alliance, Meritage has been the fastest growing wine category for three straight years. Today we have another excellent example of a Meritage well under $20, this time from Hahn Winery. You may remember Hahn from their fantastic Pinot Noir which has been a staple on our Top 10 Reds Under $20 list.

The 2010 Hahn Winery Central Coast Meritage begins with enticing aromas of dark berries, spice, vanilla, caramel and a little cedar. It tastes rich and fruity with flavors of black cherry, cola, plum, molasses and licorice wrapped up in a smooth and spicy texture. It ends dry, with lots of spice, vanilla and caramel that lasts for a long time. Wonderful stuff in its own right, this definitely ain't no second class Bordeaux.

Wine in the "Make Mine A Meritage" series: