#HannaWinery Last Summer Series #12

It was a sad day the morning we packed the car with our luggage and left No Name Resort in Alexander Valley! We had been there ten days and I wasn't ready to go back home. Leaving meant no more wine tastings and discoveries of new vineyards. So off we went down the road past Chalk Hill Winery, Lancaster Estates, and numerous others. As luck would have it, we came upon one winery that Don's daughter had visited while we were in Healdsburg grocery shopping one morning during our stay.

 Hanna Winery and Vineyards in the Alexander Valley has a hospitality center on 88 acres. It has a panoramic view of the valley, which is a great place to sit and sip their wines.

Meredith kept telling us how wonderful their wines were and she was right! Once we went and experienced the tasting ourselves, we knew it was a match for us. The wine we bought was a 2009 Hanna Bismark Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($57) which is a blend of 

80 % Cabernet, 11 % Malbec, and 9 % Petit Verdoh. 

It is an  "opaque navy blue with aromas of Abuleita chocolate, rice pudding, concrete, dried sage and boysenberry. Flavors are reminiscent of clove, bittersweet chocolate, cola, and miso. Texturally is is viscous and long with a firm finish." What that says to me is that I love it because anything with an aroma and flavor of chocolate has my full attention!

We also bought a 2011 Elias Chardonnay ($46) for me. It was grown in the Russian River Valley on the Home Ranch and Slusser Ranch (two of their four vineyards for growing).

"Aromatically it is youthful with effusive Honey and toast pears and orange peel notes.  In the mouth it is reminiscent of spicy baked apples and hazel nut with touch of freshly baked bread. Elegantly proportioned and rich without being sweet."

Hanna Winery and Vineyards in Alexander Valley is a beautiful place to visit and a wonderful place to taste wine! 

Enjoy and cheers!