Hirsch 'San Andreas' Pinot Noir 2010

Wine Enthusiast 93+
Cellar Selection
"Dry and tart in acidity, this Pinot Noir offers cherry-skin-like tannins that give the palate a brittle sensation. Give it 5–6 years to let the raspberry and cherry flavors meld with the notes of oak and mineral. It should last the next 15 years, gradually losing its fruit and gaining earthy, mushroomy complexities. " ~ SH

Stephen Tanzer 91
"Vivid red. Smoke- and spice-accented aromas of black raspberry, anise and incense. Shows assertive inner-mouth perfume and sweet red and dark berry character, along with a note of candied rose. Closes tight, tangy and long, with a resinous herb quality and silky tannins."

" Upon opening, dark fruits, pomegranate, figs, orange blossom and bergamot on the nose. Evolving with time to show dried and fresh flowers, cherries and forest floor. On the palate, taut acidity, supple tannins and the restrained fruit of a cool vintage. " ~ David Hirsch

" 2010 marks our 30th year of farming on the extreme Sonoma Coast, and it is the first vintage produced by our fantastic new winemaker Ross Cobb (formerly of Flowers Winery and Williams Selyem). It shows the quality and purity that can be achieved when great farming is elevated by a remarkable winemaker. Enjoy!

The San Andreas Fault is our signature pinot noir and the most complete representative of the complex Hirsch Vineyard. The resulting wines are characterized by elegance, restraint and a profoundly old-world fruit character.

This is our signature wine from a very cool vintage on the Sonoma Coast. A wine of elegance, restraint and a profoundly old-world fruit character. 2010 was the first vintage produced by our new winemaker Ross Cobb (formerly of Flowers Winery and Williams Selyem), and it shows the quality that can be achieved when great farming is elevated by a remarkable winemaker.

The San Andreas Fault is Hirsch Vineyards’ signature pinot noir and is crafted to give the drinker a complete picture of this complex vineyard. The 2010 San Andreas Fault has fruit from 29 distinct farming blocks within Hirsch Vineyards, more than any wine produced from this site. It is named for the fault-line which marks the meeting of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates, snaking its way up the California coast and passing about a mile from Hirsch.

The 2010 vintage was exceptionally cool, resulting in wines of high acidity, low alcohol, and very restrained fruit. These are elegant, serious wines that will require some time in the cellar to show their full potential. " ~ Winery notes

Hirsch is the pioneer vineyard on the 'True' Sonoma Coast. Planted from 1980 by David Hirsch, two miles from the ocean at Ft. Ross (AVA) in Sonoma County, the vineyard first became known from wines of Williams Selyem, Kistler, Littorai, and others. The on-site winery was started in 2002, and winemaker Anthony Filiberti has joined the team to craft some of the most compelling wines of this 'grand cru' quality vineyard. Every effort has been made to integrate the wine making with the farming to produce wines that have site typicity: rich pinot fruit married to a profound acidic complexity finished with deep, evolved natural tannins.