Hirsch Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir 2019 (750ML)

97 JD / 96 WE / 95+ WA / 95 JS / 95 VM / 18 JR

From the top barrel and lot selections, the 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve Pinot Noir is layered with wild herbs, cedar, and black raspberry on the nose. The palate is fresh with pomegranate, dried tea leaf, and orange zest and delivers fine tannins, refreshing acidity, and a long finish. Hold this 2-4 years and drink it over the following 15 years.-Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck

This superb reserve-worthy wine dances in rose, dried herb and white-pepper aromas and flavors—a barrel-selection that comes entirely from the coastal estate. Light, balanced and elegant in style, with complexity for days, it shows a fresh landscape of acid-driven, crunchy, red fruit. — Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast

The 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve comes from several of Hirsch's estate vineyards—winemaker Jasmine Hirsch calls it a "blend of grand crus." It has a medium ruby-purple color and alluring scents of pomegranate, rhubarb, orange peel, tea leaves, saline, licorice and top notes of bergamot. The medium-bodied palate is pure and intense, with layers of bitters and spices that shift with each return to the glass. Powerful yet finessed and refreshing, it deserves another 2-3 years in bottle but is difficult to resist at this youthfully expressive stage. -Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate

Ripe and open with generous fruit character on the nose, suggesting plums and ripe strawberries. Some flowers, too. Full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a chewy palate, yet it remains soft and very attractive. Give this two to four years to soften. Try after 2024.-James Suckling

The 2019 Pinot Noir Reserve is another fabulous wine in this range from Hirsch. Deep, ample and explosive, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and resonance in its generous dark fruit, spice, licorice and chocolate flavors. There’s a bit more new oak here, which I am not sure the wine needs or benefits from. In this tasting, the Reserve does not especially stand out, probably because so many of the other wines are so compelling. Give the tannins a few years to settle down. East Ridge, Block 8 and West Ridge are the main components.-Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

This wine offers fuller, though not bigger, aromatics with plenty of complexity. This wine definitely wants air to open. It carries plenty of structural focus in good balance with its overall flavour, texture and size. There is an impressive freshness built into its seriousness and a mouth-watering savoury persistence throughout. The Reserve wine carries the greatest complexity and overall completeness of the 2019 portfolio – savoury qualities, hints of floral notes, a stoniness throughout, a bit of iodine, and a mineral crunch emerges with air as well. There is nice palate stimulation and lots of length, and a sophistication that feels innate to the wine. I am impressed by the overall delivery. Nicely done.-Elaine Chukan Brown, JancisRobinson