So much fresh flowers with hibiscus and honey blossom. Dried citrus like lemon zest. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that are super integrated. Zesty finish. Lots of focus and beauty. The tannins are perfectly melted into the wine. Drinkable but even better in two to three years.

Winemaker Jasmine says that 2020 was a warm drought vintage with low yields, tiny berries, and thick skins and while Hirsch is typically a red-fruited site, the vintage shows itself as more savoury and darker with a real tannic edge. Hirsch notes that she felt a bottling of the San Andreas Fault, the winery’s signature bottling, was imperative as it represented the quality she likes to see. I found this wine restrained at first, giving off just hints of crunchy red fruits, cedar, dried florals, and brown spices. It opened to reveal a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with elongated, grippy tannins underneath a warmth of red berry and black cherry fruit. With more air, the tannins become more fine-grained and sandy, and there’s plenty of grip in its pomegranate-acid freshness.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate San Andreas Fault is a blend of thirty parcels across the vineyard. Vibrant and super-complex, the 2021 screams with precision right out of the gate. Dark red-toned fruit, dried herbs, mint and sage are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. The purity of the flavors here is so compelling.