Region: Sonoma Coast
Sub Region: Fort Ross-Seaview
Variety: Chardonnay
Country: USA
Vintage: 2024
The Wine
Few vineyards have done more to define the modern reputation of the Sonoma Coast than Hirsch. Perched on a rugged ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Hirsch Estate sits in one of California’s most extreme viticultural environments, with elevations ranging from 300 to 500 metres and a patchwork of distinct blocks planted across steep slopes and varied soil types.
The Estate Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from Hirsch’s maritime vineyard, where cold Pacific winds, frequent fog and a long growing season allow fruit to ripen slowly while retaining remarkable natural acidity. The vineyard is farmed organically and with a strong focus on biodiversity, with each block harvested separately to preserve site expression.
In the winery, the fruit is whole-cluster pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine is matured in French oak barrels, with only a modest proportion of new oak, and undergoes extended lees ageing to build texture while maintaining freshness and tension. The philosophy at Hirsch is firmly Burgundian: transparency of site, restrained winemaking and wines built to evolve.
The result is a Chardonnay of precision and energy, combining citrus, stone fruit and saline minerality with the structure and balance that have made Hirsch one of California’s benchmark estates.
Cellared Says
Hirsch has become one of the reference points for California Chardonnay, and with good reason. This is not a wine built on oak or richness. Instead, it offers freshness, tension and site expression in a way that feels remarkably complete. If you enjoy top white Burgundy, this is a bottle that deserves your attention.
Reviews
Reviews for the 2024 vintage are still emerging.
Previous vintages have consistently attracted critical acclaim, with Hirsch Chardonnay regularly receiving scores in the mid-to-high 90s from Vinous, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, praised for its precision, mineral drive and ageing potential.
Region: Sonoma Coast
Sub Region: Fort Ross-Seaview
Variety: Chardonnay
Country: USA
Vintage: 2024
The Wine
Few vineyards have done more to define the modern reputation of the Sonoma Coast than Hirsch. Perched on a rugged ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Hirsch Estate sits in one of California’s most extreme viticultural environments, with elevations ranging from 300 to 500 metres and a patchwork of distinct blocks planted across steep slopes and varied soil types.
The Estate Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from Hirsch’s maritime vineyard, where cold Pacific winds, frequent fog and a long growing season allow fruit to ripen slowly while retaining remarkable natural acidity. The vineyard is farmed organically and with a strong focus on biodiversity, with each block harvested separately to preserve site expression.
In the winery, the fruit is whole-cluster pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The wine is matured in French oak barrels, with only a modest proportion of new oak, and undergoes extended lees ageing to build texture while maintaining freshness and tension. The philosophy at Hirsch is firmly Burgundian: transparency of site, restrained winemaking and wines built to evolve.
The result is a Chardonnay of precision and energy, combining citrus, stone fruit and saline minerality with the structure and balance that have made Hirsch one of California’s benchmark estates.
Cellared Says
Hirsch has become one of the reference points for California Chardonnay, and with good reason. This is not a wine built on oak or richness. Instead, it offers freshness, tension and site expression in a way that feels remarkably complete. If you enjoy top white Burgundy, this is a bottle that deserves your attention.
Reviews
Reviews for the 2024 vintage are still emerging.
Previous vintages have consistently attracted critical acclaim, with Hirsch Chardonnay regularly receiving scores in the mid-to-high 90s from Vinous, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator, praised for its precision, mineral drive and ageing potential.
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