By Jasmine Hirsch, July 2025
The 2023 vintage is a return to the classical, producing wines of finesse, lift and most importantly, a pure expression of site.
The 2023 growing season was long, mild and gentle. Winter rains were ample, and yields were normal to slightly below average. A cold, late spring opened to a cool and sunny summer with no heat events. The growing season was long and full of opportunities for conversation and dreaming. Ripening was long and slow, and harvest was the latest since the 1990s.
These conditions produced elegant, perfumed wines with great detail and transparency. The grapes achieved full phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels, resulting in wines with lower alcohol.
The 2023s are dream wines for those that love balanced, graceful Pinot Noirs with classic varietal character and elevated site specificity. These are mid-weight wines with persistence and texture, a remarkable combination and the result of highly specific vintage conditions.
This is our first release of estate Pinot Noirs from 2023. While not a tannic vintage, the 2023 East Ridge bucks that trend with notable structure underpinning the classic dark and heady fruit of this vineyard. The West Ridge is ethereal, almost fragile, with an intense mineral character and pure red fruit. The San Andreas is a showstopper, packed with blackberries and black cherries, with notes of violet and mint. All three wines have elevated early complexity, and a savory quality runs throughout.
Since I became the winemaker at Hirsch in 2019, no vintage has been the same. It feels like a great gift to enter every year with a new set of opportunities and challenges. I’m happy to be able to bring you a new and never to be repeated expression of our vineyard, from a vintage that is shaping up to be a standout in the modern era.
Warm regards,
Jasmine Hirsch
Winemaker & General Manager
Wines in This Release
2023 Hirsch East Ridge Estate Pinot Noir