2021 Hirsch Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge
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Tasting notes
The effusive 2021 Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge is a contender for Grand-Cru quality at the Hirsch Estate, with an outstanding nose of tea tree oils, preserved Amarena cherries, and crushed flowers, It pours a dark ruby hue and is medium to full-bodied on the palate, expanding with even-keeled energy and offering a stony texture, ripe tannins, noble structure, and a mouthwatering saline finish. Lovers of Hirsch are going to want to snatch up this phenomenal wine and cellar it. Drink 2026-2046. Located in Fort Ross, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, David Hirsch purchased his estate in 1978 and planted his first vines in 1980. His daughter Jasmine Hirsch took over as winemaker with the 2019 vintage. They have been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 2011 and were fully converted over in 2014. Their focus and attention are on the site, resulting in wines that offer elegance and purity, with transparency in regard to their sense of place. While I have been a fan of these wines for a long time, they are continuing to push the bar higher and higher, slowly evolving their style to find balance and a new level of completeness in the resulting wines today. For readers who have not checked in on the Hirsch wines in a while, I would highly encourage you to seek these 2021s out.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge is scented of red cherry and redcurrant with a kaleidoscope of aniseed, botanical, lilac, earth and chaparral nuances. The medium-bodied palate is vibrant and finely chalky with a concentrated core of fruit and a long, expressive finish. It will benefit from 3-5 more years in bottle.
The 2021 Pinot Noir Raschen Ridge is a stunning wine. Dark, deeply layered and super-expressive, the 2021 dazzles with its powerful, explosive personality. Vibrant mineral notes drive through this vibrant Pinot Noir. The mix of clay and rocks, along with exposed, windy parcels yielded a wine of towering, statuesque intensity. All the elements are so well proportioned. The balance of fruit, acid and tannin is remarkable. What a wine!
Pale ruby in colour but with more blue than the other Hirsch Pinot Noirs. Quiet at the moment with brooding black fruit. Tannin is lightly sandy with some grip, elevated acidity and blueberry and dark-cherry-driven fruit with a savoury rockiness. The structure is all there but this needs time to unwind. (SCJ)