A NOTE FROM OUR WINEMAKER

Spring Release, 2024

Greetings,

I’m incredibly excited to share these wines with you. Having farmed here now for more than 40 years, we recognize what a gift it is to make wine in a vintage such as 2021. Many vintages, perhaps most vintages, we have to battle it out with Mother Nature, using a combination of supplication and exceedingly hard work. In 2021, it was as if she lined everything up for us, and all we had to do was show up, pay attention and do the work. 

A difficult spring gave way to a perfect summer. As harvest began, almost every vineyard block ripened at once, a nightmare for a winemaker. However, all of a sudden, the fog came in and everything cooled off. It was as if the vineyards were in a refrigerator. We picked for 10 days straight, without stopping, knowing that the fruit was perfect and we had to do our utmost to take advantage of the ideal conditions we had been given.

The result is some of the finest wines we’ve ever seen at Hirsch. The Pinots have an effortless balance of fruit concentration with structure, graced with aromatic complexity and a glossy texture.

All of the Pinot Noirs in this release are my favorites and not to be missed. But I must give special mention to the 2021 Raschen Ridge Estate Pinot Noir, which recently received two 100-point scores. These vines are now 20 years old and producing wines of remarkable energy, power and balance.

And I can't neglect our 2022 Estate Chardonnay! Yields were around half of normal in 2022, resulting in an exotic, rich and concentrated Chardonnay.  We purposefully bottled this wine several months earlier than normal to preserve freshness and elegance. The silky texture and energetic acidity make this a vibrant, joyful and utterly delicious expression of our site.

My complete vintage report for 2021 can be found here, as well as more information about the 2021 vintage wines.

I'm deeply grateful for your support. My father David Hirsch always says that you, the drinker, complete the chain of production. Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

With gratitude,
Jasmine Hirsch
Winemaker & General Manager

WINES IN THIS RELEASE

2021 Reserve Estate Pinot Noir
2021 Raschen Ridge Estate Pinot Noir
2021 Block 8 Estate Pinot Noir
2022 Estate Chardonnay