2019 Hirsch Pinot Noir Estate Reserve
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Tasting notes
From the top barrel and lot selections, the 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve is layered with wild herbs, cedar, and black raspberry on the nose. The palate is fresh with pomegranate, dried tea leaf, and orange zest and delivers fine tannins, refreshing acidity, and a long finish. Hold this 2-4 years and drink it over the following 15 years. 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.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve comes from several of Hirsch's estate vineyards—winemaker Jasmine Hirsch calls it a "blend of grand crus." It has a medium ruby-purple color and alluring scents of pomegranate, rhubarb, orange peel, tea leaves, saline, licorice and top notes of bergamot. The medium-bodied palate is pure and intense, with layers of bitters and spices that shift with each return to the glass. Powerful yet finessed and refreshing, it deserves another 2-3 years in bottle but is difficult to resist at this youthfully expressive stage.
Made entirely with estate fruit and biodynamically farmed. The Reserve Pinot Noir brings together the top selections of the site for its vintage and includes portions from throughout the vineyard. 18% whole cluster. 43% new oak and 17 months' ageing. This wine offers fuller, though not bigger, aromatics with plenty of complexity. This wine definitely wants air to open. It carries plenty of structural focus in good balance with its overall flavour, texture and size. There is an impressive freshness built into its seriousness and a mouth-watering savoury persistence throughout. The Reserve wine carries the greatest complexity and overall completeness of the 2019 portfolio – savoury qualities, hints of floral notes, a stoniness throughout, a bit of iodine, and a mineral crunch emerges with air as well. There is nice palate stimulation and lots of length, and a sophistication that feels innate to the wine. I am impressed by the overall delivery. Nicely done. (ECB)
The 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve is another fabulous wine in this range from Hirsch. Deep, ample and explosive, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and resonance in its generous dark fruit, spice, licorice and chocolate flavors. There’s a bit more new oak here, which I am not sure the wine needs or benefits from. In this tasting, the Reserve does not especially stand out, probably because so many of the other wines are so compelling. Give the tannins a few years to settle down. East Ridge, Block 8 and West Ridge are the main components.