Hahn Family Wines

During the 1790s, Spanish missionaries recognized the rare soils and favorable climate of the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey and planted grapevines there. Yet nearly two hundred years later when our founder Nicolaus (Nicky) Hahn and his wife Gaby first purchased land in the Highlands, cattle, sheep and horses ranged over the hills. Vineyards were a secondary concern.

Nicky immediately saw that the land he’d purchased was destined for greater things than grazing stock. He wasted no time. In 1980, the Hahns released their first wine from SLH. A mere eight years later, Nicky led the charge to establish SLH as an American Viticultural Area, a dream he saw realized in 1991.

Today, Hahn Family Wines, now run by Nicky and Gaby’s son Philip, owns and sustainably farms 650 acres of estate vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. SLH enjoys worldwide acclaim for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made there.

We know that other people have said this but we also know that it’s true: wines are made in the vineyard.  We’re the proud stewards of six estate vineyards in Monterey County, four of which are located in the world-class growing region of the Santa Lucia Highlands and two others in the esteemed Arroyo Seco appellation.  At Hahn, we have been dedicated for 35 years now to crafting unique wines that reflect these superior vineyards along with other auspicious plantings.

From our work in the vineyards to assure vine balance all the way through to our gentle winemaking approach, Hahn wines benefit from artisanal techniques that include open-top fermentation of Pinot Noir and patient aging in our temperature-controlled cellar.

In the vineyard, we harvest at peak ripeness, then sort and de-stem the fruit before applying a gentle press and cold soak. To extract rich colors, aromas and flavors, we emphasize extended maceration of the grapes.   Alongside these boutique techniques we also employ cutting-edge technology, like our fermenters which continuously regulate temperature to ensure control and quality.

To contribute additional layers of subtlety and depth, we use the finest French oak coopers in our barrel-aging regime. Our Chardonnay barrels are hand-stirred every two weeks throughout the aging process to promote additional complexity to the finished wine.

In the end, we find that even with the variations that naturally occur vintage to vintage, each of our wines bears a mark of distinction that gives testament to its one-of-a-kind origins.