The bulk of the grapes for this wine come from Monterey County, whose coastal climate seems to be an excellent fit for the ‘burgundy grape’ chardonnay. Hahn Winery Chardonnay is not a buttery wine with an aroma accelerator at the bottom, but a cultured wine that, via its slender fruit and precise acidity, plays on facets rather than muscles.
Winemaker Paul Clifton pays great attention to the balance between fruit, acid and oak. For this wine, he has chosen to use only 20% new oak, while the rest of the oak casks are neutral. Only French oak is used (from 3 different coopers!), as American oak would be too aromatically dominant. After just under 12 months in the casks, the wine was mixed and bottled. It is ready to drink now and over the next 3-5 years will take on nutty aromas while the fruit becomes less prominent.
Aroma and taste are dominated by fresh citrus fruit with undertones of tropical fruit, especially mango and pineapple, while coconut is also noticeable in the background. You get a semi-full-bodied wine with lovely freshness and a long, clean finish.
We recommend Hahn Winery Chardonnay as an accompaniment to a rustic chicken dish, preferably a la creme, to masculine fish dishes or to light meat dishes with ditto sauces.
