August 25, 2012

Hahn Winery Meritage Central Coast 2010

Meritage is one of those interesting wines (to me) that are a mixture of a number of delicious grapes, so therefore can not be listed under any one varietal. Apparently, the name itself is fairly recent, only being coined in 1988, but the wines themselves are Bordeaux-type wines, making the theory behind them much older.
Hahn Estates are located in California's Monterrey County and much of the vineyards were once a cattle ranch and horse ranch. The soil, however, is perfect for growing grapes, and the family has been successfully doing so since they released their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1980.
This Hahn Meritage is pretty interesting, which may be a common characteristic of wines made with a number of different types of grapes? In this case, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also has a fair amount of Merlot (ahh, part cab, part merlot - no wonder I like it), Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. And like it, I do. It has a bit of the spice I like, the pepper that sits on your tongue after you've swallowed, but also a little sweetness, like from the currant and black cherry flavors. Complex is a word that would apply to this wine, and strong, able to hold its own when paired with a filet or lamb.