Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault, Hirsch Vineyards 2019

The 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is bright and finely sculpted. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper lend notable vibrancy as this taut, nervy Pinot shows off its distinctive personality. The San Andreas Fault is one of the more linear wines in the range. Give it a few years to soften. (Drink between 2024-2034)

From a site that produces wines of more structure, even in low-tannin vintages, the 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault takes on more layered complexity, with a perfume of rosehip, wild raspberry, and cinnamon spice. Revealing notes of dried flowers, cranberry, and tea leaf , the palate offers pretty character and weightlessness, although it certainly has underlying structure that is not to be overlooked. For lovers of Burgundy. this is a killer wine to have in the mix. Drink it over the next 10 or more 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. (Drink between 2022-2033)

Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is scented of cranberries, blackberries, forest floor and conifer, lemon peel and Angostura bitters. The light-bodied palate is delicate yet intense with a deep core of red fruit, a fine, powdery texture, seamless acidity and long finish.