Cazadero / California / United States
Hirsch Vineyards was established in 1980 on a ridge overlooking the ocean at Fort Ross, Sonoma County. It was the first vineyard in the region planted to the production of premium pinot noir. From the start all efforts have been on the growing of fruit that makes wines profoundly characteristic of the site vintage after vintage. Time is our most valuable asset, and as only time can judge a wine to be a valid expression of its site, we have focused our vision on the long term. To this end we have dedicated ourselves to live and work on site in order to discover by farming and, more recently, winemaking, a valid philosophy of viticulture that will harmonize our inputs with the constantly changing effects of a dramatic geology and problematic climate. Hirsch Winery was set up in 2002 specifically to learn more about the site. Here winemaking is an extension of viticulture: the link in the chain of winegrowing where grapes, the true wealth of the land, are transformed by native yeasts ( the real winemakers! ) and heat into wine. The winery, set in the middle of our 1100-acre ranch, serves as the eye that monitors and processes the fruits of each vintage without the use of techniques and additives that filter out and distort the quintessence of the site. Due to the highly variegated soils and exposures of each vineyard and the constantly changing climate, the characteristics of the fruit will vary from vintage to vintage ; but the underlying structural complexity is always there. We have learned to pay close attention to the individual sites and to taste the wines from every block ( unblended until bottling ) to permit the received information to guide us in our winemaking practices. We are constantly on guard that science, consultants, or techniques serve, not co-opt, our intentions. This complex, unique site produces fruit and wines of unusual acidity and balance with a vintage specific concentration of pinot noir or chardonnay fruit. These are wines to be enjoyed now or laid down for future consumption. We are not interested in the culture of cult. Wine is one of the mysteries that mirrors the depth and inscrutability of Life itself ; and as we have been taught by book and fable, it is a gift to be shared, cherished, respected, and most importantly enjoyed.
