2022 Hirsch Pinot Noir Estate Reserve

The 2022 Pinot Noir Reserve is a bit more structured and introspective on opening. It has similar mineral-inflected characteristics to those of the San Andreas Fault, but more amplified. Its fruit comes from parts of Block 8, West Ridge, and a parcel of Mount Eden from Maritime Vineyard. The palate is mouthwatering, with a ripe, medium-bodied frame, savory, salty, mineral earth notes, and a long finish. Drink 2026-2040. 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.

A rich and layered red with blueberry, raspberry, peach and sandalwood aromas and flavors. So complete and broad shouldered, with framed and polished tannins and gorgeous fruit in the finish. A blend of top vineyards and a selection of the best wines. One for the cellar. A couple years of bottle age will make it even better.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Reserve is a blend of the top blocks on the ranch. Powerful and imposing, the 2022 is seriously deep. It is another wine that is going to require a number of years to soften. Dark red-toned fruit, chalk, mint, iron, dried herbs and orange peel linger. As good as the Reserve is, as a blend, it obviously does not offer the same nuanced expression of site as some of the other wines in the range.