Hirsch Vineyards - "San Andreas Fault" Estate Pinot Noir 2023

David Hirsch purchased the land that would be come Hirsch Vineyards in 1978 and planted his first vines in 1980, making it the oldest premium Pinot Noir vineyard on the True Sonoma Coast. Through 2001, all of the grapes were sold to other wineries — becoming the most sought after source of fruit from the leading wineries — though Hirsch did not produce any of its own wine.That changed in 2002, when after twenty-two years focused on planting and farming, David Hirsch made the decision to build a winery and start making his own wines. The primary motivation was to provide feedback his farming decisions: essentially, Hirsch built a winery to become better farmers. In 2011 they began the process of converting the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture. By 2014, all 72 acres of vines as well as their gardens and orchards were fully under biodynamic practice.

Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Estate Pinot opens with a tell-tale, cool-climate perfume of dark and red berries, gradually revealing violet, dried herbs, mint and a subtle forest-floor character. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry and wild strawberry are framed by savory mineral tones, cassis and a faint suggestion of redwood, while the texture is remarkably silky and refined. Bright acidity gives the wine lift and precision, balancing its depth of fruit, with fine-grained tannins and a persistent finish that continues to unfold with a gentle swirl of the glass. This is a beautifully layered expression of Hirsch’s rugged West Sonoma Coast site, already compelling in its youth but possessing the structure and freshness for further development in the cellar. At the table, it would be a natural partner for duck breast with cherry gastrique, roasted chicken with wild mushrooms, pork tenderloin with herbs or grilled lamb chops with wild rice and morels.