Hirsch San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2018

Professional Ratings

• 95 Jeb Dunnuck

  The 2018 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault is one of the more up-front, fruit-driven wines in the lineup. It offers ample Bing cherry and almost blackberry and mulberry-like fruit supported by sappy herb and flower aromas and flavors. Nicely textured on the palate, medium to full-bodied, up-front and juicy, it has lots of charm and will unquestionably continue to drink nicely for at least 7-8 years, and I suspect even longer.

• 94 James Suckling
  Lots of pure fruit here with crushed strawberries, flowers, dried mushrooms and bark on the nose, following through to a full body with loads of ripe fruit and chewy tannins. It’s an intense red with lots of fruit-driven character but, it’s got freshness and energy. Give it another two or three years of bottle age.
• 94 Wine Spectator
  Powerful and refined, with a concentrated blend of spiced cherry, red currant and dried berry flavors that are backed by crisp acidity and firm tannins. The finish is propelled by intense minerality and savory spice notes. Best from 2022 through 2027.
• 94 Wine & Spirits

  Jasmine Hirsch blended this wine from 45 of her family’s 67 parcels of vines. In 2018, a cool season punc-tuated by a Labor Day heat spell ripened the fruit to a powerful, juicy intensity without any weight. The structure is fit and lithe, a cold, crisp pinot saturated with dark cherry-skin tannins, reso-nant with notes of cherries and coastal forest.

• 93 Decanter
  The flagship Hirsch Pinot Noir. Fresh flowers, sage and candy floss aromas lead to a spry and polished palate, with a soft but upright spine of red fruits through the core. Subtly nutty and powdery on the finish. Sourced from 28ha of Pinot Noir vineyards, with half coming from 30- to 40-year-old vines and the other half from from 20-year-old vines.
• 93 Wine Enthusiast
  This is the producer's signature wine, made from dozens of distinct blocks on the wild, coastal property. Savory and structured, it shows a mix of cranberry, cassis and forest, with notions of sea spray that add to its saltiness and help to underline a thread of cardamom. Cellar Selection
• 92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2018 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault has a pale ruby color and alluring scents of licorice, forest floor, wild blackberries and mint, with bright touches of citrus peel. The palate is light-bodied with gentle grip and juicy, crunchy, earth-laced fruits, finishing long and delicate.