2016 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
2016 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc
Over many years we have enjoyed the wines of the Hanna Winery. The Hanna Winery has two tasting rooms in Sonoma Wine County, one in the Russian River Valley and the other on Highway 128 in the spectacular Alexander Valley. The best bargain in all the Hanna wines is the Sauvignon Blanc. We have skipped the last couple of vintages of this wine in favor of trying other whites. I noticed on my Delectable App that wine guru Wilfred Wong wrote an excellent review of this wine, and that was enough to get me to buy the Hanna at my local Costco store. The Hanna Sauvignon Blanc is a large-production wine. I see it at many wine shops and supermarkets. The price of $12.39 at Costco is hard to beat. The average price according to Wine-Searcher.com is $18. It is $19 on the Hanna online wine shop.
Sauvignon Blanc can be all over the map in style. On one side is the Bordeaux and the Sancerre dry style of Sauvignon Blanc; the opposite side is the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with big citrus and gooseberry characteristics. The 2016 Hanna S.B. gets it right in the middle. I love the freshness of this wine, with gentle citrus flavors mixed in with other tropical fruit. It is an excellent wine for sipping outdoors. Foods like grilled seafood, Padron Peppers, Halibut, and chicken will match nicely with the Hanna Sauvignon Blanc. I score the 2016 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc at 88 Points. At the January Chronicle Wine Competiton 2017, this wine was the Sweepstake White Wine selection. Now, that’s impressive!
More on Hanna Winery & Vineyards
The Hanna Winery was founded in 1985 by Dr. Elias Hanna. Dr. Hanna was one of three doctors who were the first to perform Angioplasty to clear obstructed coronary arteries. It’s good to know that a heart doctor loves wine.
We have visited the tasting room at Hanna in the Alexander Valley many times. It sits up on a hillside. You can pack a picnic lunch, enjoy a glass of the Hanna Sauvignon Blanc, and take in the fantastic views of the Alexander Valley. Follow the Alexander Valley Wine Trail and visit Hanna and other terrific nearby wineries.
View from the Hanna Tasting Room in the Alexander Valley
Nearby Hanna, a beautiful hillside vineyard
“Sauvignon Blanc can be all over the map in style.” Joe pretty much sums it up in one sentence. Me, I’d rather drink tepid water than a New Zealand style SB. (There are other varietals that are also ‘all over the map’, Zinfandel comes to mind.) The problem comes when entertaining guests in summer and SB (or Zin) would be a nice pairing with the food to be served. My solution is to have 2-4 different SB’s available, open a bottle of each and invite guests to try each. When a bottle empties I have more in reserve to replace. (That is why I follow GCV, I can’t afford to have on hand multiple expensive bottles of each wine.) A plus to the SB varietal is that it is a pretty good cooking wine so even what I don’t like/won’t drink doesn’t go to waste. Finally, I have tasted the Hanna SB and found it enjoyable but not a great value for the price. When I can buy the FERRARI-CARANO FUMÉ BLANC for $10 at CostCo I’ll pass on Hanna. Another SB at CostCo that I like for the price is from Bella Grace.
I have not found the Bella Grace at any of my nearby stores. I met the Bella Grace owners and tasted their wines last year. The Bella Grace wines are terrific. By my notes, the 2016 Hanna is better than the last vintage I tasted. Thanks for commenting.
Joe