2022 Hirsch Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge

Coming from the part of the vineyard along the ridgeline above the winery, where there’s a perfect mix of drainage in the soil as well as nutrient-rich material, the 2022 Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge is the most structured and intense wine in the range. The nose is layered with notes of cassis, licorice, violets, and sage, and the palate is ripe with well-defined tannins, even acidity, and a long, savory finish. This wine deserves cellaring, as it will improve over the coming 5-6 years and drink its best over the coming 20 years. The current releases from Jasmine Hirsch include a first look at her 2023s, as well as the release of the 2022 single vineyard wines, which she holds back an additional year. While 2022 falls broadly into the category of a warm vintage for Sonoma, she notes that despite this being categorized as a vintage noted for its heat, they did not experience any notable heat until September. It never got above 92 degrees at Hirsch in August, and they had picked 70% of the fruit by Labor Day. (The peak was 108 degrees over Labor Day weekend.) For her, the yields were the defining factor in the concentration and density of the 2022 vintage.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Raschen Ridge is a worthy follow-up to the magical 2021. One of the defining attributes of the world's greatest vineyards is their ability to confer a sense of place in all vintages, irrespective of climatic conditions. Raschen Ridge is one of those sites. The 2022 offers up a beguiling mix of red-toned fruit, blood orange, menthol and cinnamon, with the translucent lift and energy that are such signatures of this site. Veins of supporting tannin shape the clean, resonant finish. Raschen Ridge is, in my view, the quintessential Hirsch wine.