- Practicing Biodynamic
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Hirsch Vineyards (Fort Ross-Seaview AVA)
- Planting of this ridge began in 1990
- 49% planted in 1990-91 and 51% planted in 2003
- Clones: Pommard-Wädenswil (53%), Swan (33%), Mount Eden (14%)
- 1,600 feet elevation
- 80% of vines are phylloxera stricken which leads to very low yields
- 36% new oak
- 390 cases produced
- 13.7% abv
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2022
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
West Sonoma Coast
Variety:
Pinot Noir
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Practicing Biodynamic
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-HIR-50-22 | 12/750ml |
Press & Reviews
James Suckling
Score
98
Date
2025-04-11
"So much blue fruit, caramel, bark, walnut and pepper aromas. Almost nebbiolo-like. This is full-bodied and so powerful in tannins. Wow. The mouthfeel is really something else. It needs time to soften, but I love the intensity, drive and energy. Try after 2028."
Vinous
Score
98
Date
2025-01-16
"The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate East Ridge is a wine of pure and total sensuality, amplified by the heat and drought of the year. Nearly seamless in the glass, the 2022 is so impressive. Ripe dark cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, blood orange and pomegranate confer tremendous character. Superb."
Decanter
Score
96
Date
2024-04-22
"This wine was made beginning in 2009. As the Hirsch winemaker, Ross Cobb decided to isolate the plot on the eastern ridge as its own bottling. On the southeast, with a northeast-facing slope, this site is more protected from the ocean and is very steep. The plot has phylloxera, so the designated bottling likely has a limited future. Cobb taught Jasmine to cherish the wines from this block of vineyard, which always had a darker, nearly Nebbiolo dried fruit character, ample structure, and overtly so. Rose petals and ember, a gorgeous wine. Dried cherry character loads of blue mountain berries, evergreen tips, and crushed stone minerality."
Wine Advocate
Score
95
Date
2024-02-22
"The 2022 Pinot Noir East Ridge has notably pure, detailed aromas this vintage: raspberry jam and crushed red cherries are accented by tones of lavender, mixed tea leaves, dried flowers, dusty earth and amaro. The medium-bodied palate explodes with highly concentrated, complex flavor layers. It has a seamless structure and a very long finish. It's fantastically expressive yet offers the depth and structure for cellaring."
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2021
Vinous
Score
98
Date
2024-01-16
"The 2021 Pinot Noir East Ridge is a wild, exotic wine. Dark and mysterious, the 2021 possesses striking nuance and complexity. A wine of deceptive power and structure, the 2021 exudes class. There's plenty of tannin, but all the elements are so well balanced. Layers of vibrant fruit build over time, leading to a deep, explosive finish that is unforgettable. The balance here is magnificent."
2021
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
97
Date
2024-06-28
"While the West Ridge is a low-vigor site from the magnesium in the clay, the East Ridge is low vigor due to the lack of topsoil in the vineyard. This is also the first vineyard where they practice no-till farming, which they are working toward across the estate. Located on opposite sides of the property, the East Ridge Vineyard has more clay and sandstone soils than the West Ridge and experiences cold temperatures at night. Pouring a darker ruby/red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir East Ridge jumps out of the glass with mineral-tinged aromas of graphite lifted with darker fruit notes of black raspberries and fresh sage. Moving to the palate, it's muscular in its structure, with a medium to full-bodied frame, ripe tannins, and a long finish. It's going to need time to soften and unfurl, when it will lean into more umami and savory undertones. Drink 2026-2042."
2021
Decanter
Score
96
Date
2024-04-22
"This wine was made beginning in 2009. As the Hirsch winemaker, Ross Cobb decided to isolate the plot on the eastern ridge as its own bottling. On the southeast, with a northeast-facing slope, this site is more protected from the ocean and is very steep. The plot has phylloxera, so the designated bottling likely has a limited future. Cobb taught Jasmine to cherish the wines from this block of vineyard, which always had a darker, nearly Nebbiolo dried fruit character, ample structure, and overtly so. Rose petals and ember, a gorgeous wine. Dried cherry character loads of blue mountain berries, evergreen tips, and crushed stone minerality."
2021
Wine Advocate
Score
95
Date
2024-02-22
"The 2021 Pinot Noir East Ridge has notably pure, detailed aromas this vintage: raspberry jam and crushed red cherries are accented by tones of lavender, mixed tea leaves, dried flowers, dusty earth and amaro. The medium-bodied palate explodes with highly concentrated, complex flavor layers. It has a seamless structure and a very long finish. It's fantastically expressive yet offers the depth and structure for cellaring."
2021
Jancis Robinson
Score
17
Date
2024-06-13
"A little more purple than the West Ridge. And with more pronounced acidity and tannin. Quite youthful but promising."