HirschVineyards,SanAndreasFaultPinotNoir2020HALFBottle(37.5cl)

Red, California, USA

Superb Californian Pinot Noir from the (deservedly) trendy Sonoma coast area, where the Hirsch family have pioneered great wines for decades. If you like top Burgundy but want to explore elsewhere, this is perfect, not too rich, but with just the ripeness and all the flavour you’d expect from California.

TASTING NOTE: The 2020 San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir has a lovely ruby colour and aromas of black and red fruits, herbs and spices. It’s typically aromatic as you’d expect from great Pinot Noir, with a mix of blackcurrant, cherry, compote, strawberry, rosemary and clove. The palate is medium-bodied with masses of flavour, but at 13% alcohol and with the freshness of coastal Sonoma vineyards, it remains extremely elegant and complex rather than overly rich or heavy. A tantalising, flavourful wine with firm tannins providing the potential for longevity. Drink now or till 2030.

ABOUT: Founder David Hirsch purchased the land that would become Hirsch Vineyards at Fort Ross, in the Sonoma Coast of California, in 1978. He planted his first vines in 1980. Till 2001, all of the grapes were sold to other wineries, and Hirsch did not produce any of its own wine. In the early 1990s, the vineyard became one of the most sought-after sources of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in California. In 2002, after twenty-two years focused on planting and farming, David Hirsch decided to build a winery and start making his own wines.