2022 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Maritime

A relatively newer wine in the range that’s been produced since 2017, the 2022 Pinot Noir Maritime comes from a single amphitheater-shaped vineyard, with a view of the ocean and exposed to more wind and fog. It displays a jeweled ruby color in the glass and is layered and spicy, revealing notes of menthol, black raspberries, cedar, dark stones, and violets. It fills the palate with a balanced, ripe feel, rich tannins, even acidity, and a savory, saline-noted, long finish. Drink 2025-2040. Only 120 cases were produced. The current releases from Jasmine Hirsch include a first look at her 2023s, as well as the release of the 2022 single vineyard wines, which she holds back an additional year. While 2022 falls broadly into the category of a warm vintage for Sonoma, she notes that despite this being categorized as a vintage noted for its heat, they did not experience any notable heat until September. It never got above 92 degrees at Hirsch in August, and they had picked 70% of the fruit by Labor Day. (The peak was 108 degrees over Labor Day weekend.) For her, the yields were the defining factor in the concentration and density of the 2022 vintage.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Maritime is another hulking wine in this lineup. Yields were especially impacted here, more so than elsewhere throughout the ranch. The result is a deep, resonant, tightly wound Pinot that is going to need cellaring to fully come together. Time in the glass releases floral and mineral overtones, but ultimately, the 2022 is marked by the tiny yields of the year.