Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault 2019 (750ML)

96 WA / 96 JS / 96 WE / 94 JD / 93 VM / 17 JR

Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is scented of cranberries, blackberries, forest floor and conifer, lemon peel and Angostura bitters. The light-bodied palate is delicate yet intense with a deep core of red fruit, a fine, powdery texture, seamless acidity and long finish. -Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate

Wonderful purity of fruit to this with ripe-strawberry, citrus and raspberry aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with very intense, powerful tannins that show strength and structure. Vibrant acidity. This needs time to soften. Blend of various vineyards on the site. Try after 2024.-James Suckling

This is a fresh, salty, crisp and focused wine from the beautiful coastal site. It is stone-like in texture and brimming in sea air. Rose, raspberry, black tea and clove rise to the fore of the deft, silky palate, finding cohesion and grace. — Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast

From a site that produces wines of more structure, even in low-tannin vintages, the 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault takes on more layered complexity, with a perfume of rosehip, wild raspberry, and cinnamon spice. Revealing notes of dried flowers, cranberry, and tea leaf, the palate offers pretty character and weightlessness, although it certainly has underlying structure that is not to be overlooked. For lovers of Burgundy. this is a killer wine to have in the mix. Drink it over the next 10 or more years.-Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck

The 2019 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is bright and finely sculpted. Crushed flowers, red berry fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper lend notable vibrancy as this taut, nervy Pinot shows off its distinctive personality. The San Andreas Fault is one of the more linear wines in the range. Give it a few years to soften.-Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

There is nice nuance here and a complex of red fruits, savoury notes, resinous forest elements, and a powdered-sugar accent – the flavour without the sweetness. The wine has more tactile tannin presence and a ton of length compared with the Bohan-Dillon or the Family Blend. Nice focus on freshness and acidity. A sense of transparency to site. Tactile tannin though approachable – palate-cleansing. Again, this feels like a lighter focus in terms of extraction compared with what I have seen in the past from Hirsch but still with plenty of structure. It feels like it respects the wildness of its mountain origins while bringing enough refinement to the table. This will do well with a meal.-Elaine Chukan Brown, JancisRobinson