Important Update From the Founder
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Hanzell Vertical
Union Restaurant, Seattle.
Tasted April 15, 2007 by AndrewSGHall with 1,053 views
Introduction
Rounding out the Seattle leg of our trip was a 7 hour encounter with the wines of Hanzell. Admirably hosted by Roy Hersh and augmented by the current winemaker and GM Michael Terrien.
Flights Chard I, Chard II, Pinot I, Pinot II, Pinot III, Pinot IV were all done in succession before dinner. Some salt cod croquettes and a mushroom-chevre crostini were presented early on, but the majority was solo with bread to cleanse.
Flight 1 - Chardonnay I (4 notes)
White
1980 Hanzell Chardonnay
Slight shellac nose with pears and faint brioche. Bright acids, very slender and svelte. Seville oranges with slight ash on the finish. Good body. Very nice for 20 minutes or so then became flat and shrill.
White
1981 Hanzell Chardonnay
Light nose with slight note of salmon fat which is present in texture and body. Fleshy taste, very nice structure and good acids to balance. Element of Amaretto. Very well-toned while both pretty and bold. Delight.
White
1987 Hanzell Chardonnay
Mandarin oil on the nose with suckle elements. Looser body than the 80/81 and less tone. Mineral water and salt on the back. Tired and pulled. Gives way to shellac.
Flight 2 - Chardonnay II (4 notes)
White
1992 Hanzell Chardonnay
Paler and greener than others (93, 94, 95). Reticent nose with a bit of minerally matchstick. Not of a lot of structure, hi-pitched acids with citron vodka notes. A bit of bitter as well. Gelatin texture on the back. Nicely complex with a purity and a great rhythym.
White
1993 Hanzell Chardonnay
Luxe-nose, almost saddle soap or faux-leather. Nice integration and softness. A bit of mandarin and nut oil. Nice push to it. Restrained, but balanced and well-set.
White
1995 Hanzell Chardonnay
Honey-suckle and jasmine on the nose. Oak sour on the mouth with a rough pull. Big body and shoulders, but no knit or harmony despite good elements.
Flight 3 - Pinot I (3 notes)
Red
1965 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Slight brown to blood colour. Cafe brûlot nose leading to brick, orange peel and some spice. Semi-bright acids with a nice plushness. Chew tobacco and sassafras, thyme and marrow all as mature flavors. A bit papery finish. Held ~20 minutes before cracking up.
Red
1973 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Smoke and teaberry nose. Less acid, lingers with a good pull. Gravlax-y elements, umami. Develops Asian grocery on the nose. A bit of rust and fruit leather on the finish. Solidified very nicely with a great beat and harmony.
Red
1974 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Similar nose to '73 - mocha and coffee roast dust. Slight furnace and must with a dry Madeira element. Faded, milkweedy notes, non-sweet chai as well. Weakened clearly.
Flight 4 - Pinot II (4 notes)
Red
1976 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Curing spices and sweat on the nose. Drawn acids with a cleanser component. Slight prune and pine.FFeisty tannins. Evolved into some angularity with a nose and (imagined) flavor as a ringer for CdG's Ink - which is pretty cool.
Red
1977 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Ozone and burnt electric circuits on the nose. Flat out old feeling. Dissolved. DOA.
Red
1978 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Touch balsamic with cherry wood oil. Very sauvage and rough trade comes across in a very un-tamed, un-precise way. Fougere dominant as well. Hang on for the ride.
Red
1979 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Toluene on the nose. Dry fruit spirits. Nice wash on the palate with persistence. Good precision and point. Firm acids, good balance, animal notes and mossy notes subtlely on the end. Très Pinot.
Flight 5 - Pinot III (4 notes)
Red
1980 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Lilac nose with tar and menthol. Big push which is very seductive and suave. Lots of body and nerve. Saffron notes. Serious energy going on as well. Good stuff.
Red
1982 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Gamey yak tea or pu-erh nose. Natural sweat. Lighter body with some sap. Nice acids to balance the life notes. Good finish, but structure off-kilter. Charming nonetheless.
Red
1987 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Rich nose of over-brewed oolong which continued to the palate. Dark fruits, cherry and myrrh. Fruit dominates though a little chypre tinges the finish. Tannins too prominent instead of providing power.
Flight 6 - Pinot IV (4 notes)
Red
1993 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Smoke and chinoiserie. Red current fruit. Very á point. Nice kick. Acids moderated, but rising. Brassy notes. Missing low notes. Pokeberry. A bit tiring.
Red
1994 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Vitamin and medicinal nose. Skin-like texture. Gritty tannins, dark fruit. Plush ending, but very short and not much there.
Red
1995 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Oatey-elements. Nice fruit. Dark and textured, but w/o depth. Kind of dull really.
Red
1998 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Ground ink and currant nose. Fruits and mulling spice. Bold fruits with a rocking, stripper-on-a-pole nature. Intense and cool stuff.
Flight 7 - Intermezzo (1 note)
Table was cleared and reset after a short break. Dinner courses accompanied the remaining flights. A beef tartare with the Champagne.
White - Sparkling
1996 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne
Clean, slight toast and ... just there. No specialness or character here, but does well as aperitif.
Flight 8 - Dinner Chards (4 notes)
Paired with Scallop in Cauliflower soup, then Halibut w/ white beans and haricot vert.
White
White
2002 Hanzell Chardonnay
flawed
Touch of cork on the nose, but flat profile and definite feel on the palate. Corked.
White
2001 Hanzell Chardonnay
Better than '98 and '99. Cleaner with nice fruit. Soft oak more about texture than intrusion. Good brightness on the finish.
Flight 9 - Dinner Pinot (4 notes)
Paired with Squab, celery root puree and red chard.
Red
1994 Hanzell Pinot Noir
(Second bottle w/ dinner as previous was not up to snuff) A bit of animal with nice fruit and texture. Good muscle. Bright and sappy. Nice quality.
Red
1999 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Nice. Slight Peychaud bitters, slight lichen as well. Soft fruits. Good suaveness, though a back feeling of corkiness makes occassional appearance.
Red
2000 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Nice, light with a good precision. Cherry-lite. Slight sweetness which grows to kirsch and flabbiness.
Red
2001 Hanzell Pinot Noir
Cherry sucrosity. Quiet structure which tightens up and gains weight. Primary and full. Slight tobacco and plum towards the end.
Flight 10 - Lonely Cab (1 note)
Mit cana cheese w/ candied carrots and Marcona almonds.
Red
1987 Hanzell Cabernet Sauvignon
Slight furnace nose. Vegetal nose with herb bed mulch. Bleeds down to olive oil and raw green pepper. Not quality material which was just old.
Flight 11 - Dessert (1 note)
Rosemary creme caramel w/ orange parsnip puree - a really great dessert.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2001 Domaine Yves Cuilleron Condrieu Ayguets
White pepper on the nose with warm roasted stone fruits. Some floral and a malty sweetness and good acidity. very soft texture. Smoother and rounder than 3.5 years ago with less flowers or mineral, but richer body and texture.
Closing
That was a serious marathon of a tasting and a fascinating view of the evolution of a wine producer and of wine styles.