Hirsch Pinot Noir ‘San Andreas Fault’ Sonoma Coast 2021 (375ml Half Bottle)

96 Points, Decanter – 96 Points, James Suckling

This is the flagship wine for the iconic Hirsh Vineyards Estate and comes from a blend of 35 different parcels along the San Andreas Fault line. This was the first wine Hirsch ever made so I’ve always felt like they put a little bit more love and attention into this one. It’s a showstopper with some big scores in the electric 2021 vintage, a Pinot Noir that exudes elegance and comes as perfectly structured as can be with silky smooth tannins that set up a long and memorable finish.

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96 Points, Decanter
Two plates created the California coastal mountains and the Central Valley, a former inland sea. The fault line is a mere kilometre from Hirsch Vineyards. San Andreas is the only wine Hirsch made for the first few years; this has fruit from 30 of the 60 parcels; it’s the flagship and the largest production of Hirsch bottling—loads of savoury spice aromas with wild herbs, white pepper, mint and green strawberries. The palate shows tension and tautness. Bright red berries and citrus peel meld with dark red plums, smoky cinnamon and a touch of an evergreen bough, brightening the fruity complexity.

96 Points, James Suckling
So much fresh flowers with hibiscus and honey blossom. Dried citrus like lemon zest. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that are super integrated. Zesty finish. Lots of focus and beauty. The tannins are perfectly melted into the wine.

94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is the flagship wine for the estate and the first wine they ever produced. A blend from 35 parcels across the estate, it’s designed to capture the vintage character overall. On opening, the rich ruby-colored 2021 has a gorgeous floral bouquet with a beautifully perfumed nose of raspberry liqueur, roses, and fresh mossy earth. Medium-bodied, it’s silky through the palate, with elegant structure, and is already showing beautifully. Weightless, but with lovely density of fruit, it’s long on the palate and certainly captures the greatness of this vintage. Drink 2024-2036.

Hirsch has been a force to be reckoned ever since David Hirsch first planted a Pinot Noir vineyard on a ridge overlooking the Pacific in the spring of 1980. Deemed ‘risky’ at the time, most assumed the grapes wouldn’t quite ripen. But, they did and the wines were special and it’s a recipe that others have been following since.

Iconic wineries like Kistler, Littorai, William Seylem and Failla fought over precious David’s grapes, each making a Hirsch Vineyard designated wine for many years. Those wines not only made their reputations as American masters of Pinot Noir but it established the Sonoma Coast as the premier Pinot Noir growing region in America and solidified “Grand Cru” status for the Hirsch Vineyard.

Then, in 2002, after twenty-two years focused on planting and farming, David Hirsch took another risk, making the decision to build a winery and start making his own wines. Fifteen years later, Hirsch stands with Kistler and company as producers of some of the most sought after Pinot Noirs in the world.

This year, they even received a perfect 100-point review for one of their Pinots, the 2021 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Raschen Ridge from critic James Suckling.

Then there was this insane quote from Antonio Galloni of Vinous:

“The wines I tasted [at Hirsch] were all magnificent, to the point that picking favorites is really a matter of personal preference more than anything else. Readers will not want to miss these extraordinary wines. Bravo!” 

Hirsch continues their momentum with their latest release, the 2022 Bohan-Dillon Pinot Noir. It’s brillian –  a high-toned, fresh and elegant Pinot that perfectly represents those precariously perched vineyards that line the famed Bohan-Dillon Road of the Sonoma Coast. There are tons of quaffable red fruits here with a silky mouthfeel and a lot of energy. With the weather cooling down a bit, It is a perfect choice to drink in a glass by itself or with just about anything in the kitchen. It’s a super versatile, special wine.

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