Case Lots (6) of the 2006 Hirsch Estate Pinot Noir $355.00
This wine runs in the same league with the finest efforts from such
luminaries as Marcassin, Littorai, Failla, Williams Selyem, Scherrer,
Kistler and Siduri.
*"Crimson" 'krim-zen "Strong, bright deep red combined with blue resulting
in a vibrant shade of purple"
This word describes the color as well as the soothing, palate enveloping,
mellow sensation which this sexy, silky wine provides with each sip.
David and Marie Hirsch are true visionaries. In 1980 they saw the potential
for growing world-class Burgundian grape varieties on the wind-swept, fog
enshrouded hillsides of the Sonoma Coast north of Jenner. Between 1981-2002
the Hirsch's' planted (roughly) 48 acres of painstakingly researched clones
of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For two decades, Dave sold his highly-sought
after fruit to a carefully selected group of producers who have become
legend in the "Who's Who" listing of American Burgundian varietal
specialists including Williams-Selyem, Littorai, Siduri, Scherrer, Failla
and Kistler.
In 2002, the Hirsch's' built a small (15,000 cases annual production)
winery facility and enlisted the guidance of specialist Vanessa Wong (Peter
Michael, Lafitte, Franciscan) to produce the first "Hirsch Estate" Pinot
Noir. This was an auspicious moment for Pinot Freaks the world over.
Vanessa turned over the winemaking reins (Vanessa's wonderful; she's a new
mommy and has her hands full making her own fabulous Peay Pinots and
Chardonnays) to Mark Doherty, formerly of Plump jack and Davis Bynum.
Read a thorough description of the clone selection, soil varieties and
planting decisions on the Hirsch web site.
The five vintages of Hirsch Estate Pinots have all possessed the common
characteristics of perfect ripeness, (it seems the vineyard crew picks at
the tipping point between ripe and over-ripe), polished and concentrated,
juicy, dark cherry fruit flavors, medium to full body weight and a silky
texture that has become the calling card of the finest Sonoma Coast Pinot
Noirs.
*David says that 2006 was the "seven year harvest" at Hirsch vineyards. "In
our case it had been nine years since yields and tonnages this high had been
seen (the reason for my ability to offer you case lots). Our quixotic San
Andrean climate conspired to produce apt conditions at pretty much every
stage of vine development right up to harvest. It was a fairly normal year
save for heavy winter rainstorms which caused massive landslides and slips
on the ranch and around the county. The vines opened on April fool's Day,
and warm weather promoted good root and shoot growth.
It wasn't until early August when the fruit continued to grow ever heavier
that we realized the magnitude on our hands. The bunches and berries were
not unusually large, but very compact. I estimate that we dropped at least
twice as much fruit as we had harvested the previous year!
The wines have a pronounced fruit character, but with a serious tannic
expression. They exhibit excellent balance. The "Hirsch" character is
evident; you will have the opportunity to experience how our site expressed
itself with this excellent wine.
Parker describes the Hirsch Estate Pinot as "A beauty, the dark
ruby-colored, beefy Hirsch Pinot has notes of *animal blood and roasted
meats and shows good sweetness and tannin, medium to full-body and excellent
acidity and length. This is a solidly built, borderline-rustic Pinot with
loads of character and depth. It should drink nicely for up to a decade".
*There have been reports of a vampire dressed in Chinos lurking in the
streets of Monkton!
*"94"/RC...Thirty-two blocks of Pinot Noir on the Hirsch estate and all of
them were processed on site to create the final blend of the 2006. Wow!
such incredible spice, cinnamon, clove, allspice and fennel; rich, textured
flavors of black cherry, cassis, cola, sweet cranberry, dried blueberry and
creamy blackberry liqueur. Gorgeous color of transparent jewels; a silky
and nearly cloying texture; seductive and a little slutty in the
aftertaste...one of the finest 2006 SOCOAST Pinots we've yet tasted from the
vintage.
*6-Bottle Case of 2006 Hirsch Estate Pinot Noir $355.00
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