2019 Hirsch Pinot Noir East Ridge
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Tasting notes
From a considerably warmer site on the property, the 2019 Pinot Noir East Ridge is more grounded with coniferous aromatics of pine and resin as well as cherry fruit and turned earth. The palate has more juicy fruit and mid-palate depth, with dried violets and stony minerality, while still having beautiful stylistic levity. Drink 2024-2036. Located in Fort Ross, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, David Hirsch purchased his estate in 1978 and planted his first vines in 1980. The 2019 vintage, which was predominantly what was shown to me, marks the first vintage with his daughter, Jasmine Hirsch, taking the lead as winemaker for the estate. They have been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 2011 and were fully converted over in 2014. Their focus and attention is on the site, resulting in wines that offer elegance and purity, with transparency in regard to their sense of place.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir East Ridge offers slowly unfolding scents of red and black berries, underbrush, tobacco, licorice and dried earth with an undercurrent of spicy accents. Medium-bodied, silky and refreshing, it strikes a fine balance of intense, youthful fruit and savory, earthy accents, and it has a long, flavorful finish with notably more intensity than previous vintages.
Made entirely from estate fruit and biodynamically farmed. This wine is made entirely from blocks on the eastern side of the property, which is slightly warmer than the western side as it is slightly more protected from the ocean. 19% whole cluster. 31% new oak and 17 months' ageing. Darker-toned aromatics compared with the previous regional expressions. But it also greener than any of the other wines. It carries a bit of fiddlehead fern (this might be too native to Alaska or northern climes, but there it is most often sautéed developing a distinctly green, while lightly caramelised-from-cooking note that is quite satisfying) that opens into pine-forest notes. Here the fruit character is still red but moves more to the richer, lusher aspects of red plum compared with the red-cherry blossom of West Ridge and the red cherry of San Andreas Fault, Bohan-Dillon and the Family Blend. There is plenty of subtlety here and distinctive aromatics, while the palate has more impact compared with the subtlety of the nose. There is a bit of a herbal liqueur element that emerges here and is distinct from any of the other wines in the vintage, bringing in dried orange and even a light grapefruit-pith accent. Allow the East Ridge Pinot to get plenty of air. It is a serious wine, almost brooding, with lots of intensity and impact without being overwrought or overdone. The tannin has a lot of persistence and while drinkable now will certainly open, revealing more complexity and easier tannin with age. (ECB)
The 2019 Pinot Noir East Ridge is deep, fleshy and full of character. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and pine lend notable intensity. In 2019, the East Ridge is a wine of gravitas, power and breath. Today, it is positively stellar, but it will be even better in a few years’ time.