I was attracted to Hirsch Vineyards for a couple of reasons. It is not located in the heart of Sonoma, where Pinot Noirs can be big and bold, but rather at Sonoma Coast, where the climate is cooler and wetter. And Secondly, because the owners have gone through a big effort to identify individual blocks which have different soil and aspect characteristics, and are bottled separately. The last few days, I compared three of their wines from 2016.
The first wine I review here is the best of barrels 2016 Reserve. As is often the case with best of barrels wines, this wine is overdone, in my view. The wine has good concentration of red and black cherry fruit, but it is not very precise or differentiated. It shows some fruit ripeness, but also green components. The tannins are dry and long before the wine finishes firm, but a little dull.
Score: 90/0
Then I look at the 2016 East Ridge. The peculiar aspect of this steep sloped vineyard is that two thirds of the vines have phylloxera. The owners say it is very carefully managed, and I quite like this wine, particularly on the second day. It is more restrained than the Reserve with red cherry and savoury earthy flavours. The wine has better balance overall, but the tannins are still quite plucky.
Score: 92/+
The third wine is the 2016 Block 8, regarded by the owners as their grand cru. There are concentrated red fruits on the palate, but the overriding feature is the high level of acidity, backed by firm tannins. Again, I did not find this wine all that pleasing to drink.
Score: 91/0
While the wines are not bad, I found this tasting experience disappointing. I did not see the terroir coming through all that much, and I missed any kind of enchantment I like to associate with good Pinot Noir.
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