2021 Hirsch Pinot Noir East Ridge

While the West Ridge is a low-vigor site from the magnesium in the clay, the East Ridge is low vigor due to the lack of topsoil in the vineyard. This is also the first vineyard where they practice no-till farming, which they are working toward across the estate. Located on opposite sides of the property, the East Ridge Vineyard has more clay and sandstone soils than the West Ridge and experiences cold temperatures at night. Pouring a darker ruby/red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir East Ridge jumps out of the glass with mineral-tinged aromas of graphite lifted with darker fruit notes of black raspberries and fresh sage. Moving to the palate, it’s muscular in its structure, with a medium to full-bodied frame, ripe tannins, and a long finish. It’s going to need time to soften and unfurl, when it will lean into more umami and savory undertones. Drink 2026-2042. Located in Fort Ross, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, David Hirsch purchased his estate in 1978 and planted his first vines in 1980. His daughter Jasmine Hirsch took over as winemaker with the 2019 vintage. They have been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 2011 and were fully converted over in 2014. Their focus and attention are on the site, resulting in wines that offer elegance and purity, with transparency in regard to their sense of place. While I have been a fan of these wines for a long time, they are continuing to push the bar higher and higher, slowly evolving their style to find balance and a new level of completeness in the resulting wines today. For readers who have not checked in on the Hirsch wines in a while, I would highly encourage you to seek these 2021s out.