This is still youthful with wonderful ripe dark cherry fruit and superb freshness and grip. It actually needed a good hour open to calm down and show perfect balance with a wonderful mineral complexity on the cherry-spice infused finish. The Hirsch Vineyard is one of WS's most consistently excellent bottlings for aging.
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At a great spot age wise, mature red pinot fruit, some savory spice, doubt this will improve further, for me most identifiable with older Arcadian pinot as it has an animalistic quality to the fruit, high toned and savory but not quite earthy/sous bois. Very enjoyable.
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PnP. Medium red. High toned almost floral savory nose of red fruits and spice, especially sage. Red fruits and spice on the palate w good intensity; seems a bit lacking in the Hirsch iron/Gevrey flavors but good penetrance and length on the finish. Very good showing at age 11.
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PNP and similar to my last note this is what you want in Cali Pinot. Balanced wine that shows solid fruit but also some earth and a long finish. Very enjoyable. Drink now. A-
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Cellared since release. PnP. Medium dark red with lightening at the edge. spicy nose with a hint of iron or intense mineral - pretty Hirsch typical. Good palate intensity - quite linear with the fruit subsumed by the mineral component. Finish is long but echoes spice and mineral. I think this has aged well; never a vineyard which yields showy fruit driven wines so quite typical. Perhaps not as intense as some but showing quite well at age 10; unlike others I don't find this over the edge.
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Medium body. Dark cherry fruit, black tea, leather, soy sauce, and cola predominate the palate. The finish is a bit astringent. On the backside of its drinking window. Drink up.
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Day 1 - Very good, but unfortunately about a year late in drinking it. Well balanced with a fruit filled bouquet and middle flavors. However, you could tell that a short time ago there was a lot more. What was there was complex right up to the finish, which really wasn't there. Too bad, it probably once was a contender. Rating 90 Day 2 - much better. Very near what I expected. Cherry cola up front. Elongated, complex finish. Rating up to a 92.
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Our first bottle of wine in 2017 - what a great way to start the year!!! We love Hirsch vineyard wines from WS. This is fantastic. Smooth - well integrated. Wonderful mix of red and black fruit. An elegant wine. I wish we were allocated more...
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With Christmas dinner at a restaurant (kitchen is under construction). One of the better Hirsch WS Pinots we have had. Bright red color. Lots of dark cherries and some smoke on the nose. The palate was silky smooth, with cherries dominant, but lots of spice and other secondary flavors running around in the mouth. Long, pleasant finish. Terrific.
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Popped and poured. Better with 30 minutes of air but drinking very well, delivering exactly what you want in Cali pinot, and should hold for quite some time. A-/A
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While a bit tight. at first, it displayed after an hour sitting in glass cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry, crushed black rock, and dried leaves. Medium body with medium plus acidity on the palate; enjoyable concentration. Medium plus finish. Good stuff but won't touch other bottle for a few years.
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Drank after a Kosta Browne '07 Sonoma Coast with no decanting. Was disappointing vs. expectations. Somewhat monolithic and hoped would evolve and improve after being open for a while but didn't change much, and same on day 2.
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Decanted - recommended. Great garnet color. Sweet bing cherry, Asian spice and mushroom on the nose; tart cherry, forest floor, mushroom on the palate. Round, lingering finish. Delicious.
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"Wow, I love this wine. That's what I kept saying as heather and I enjoyed this amazing wine!! Gigantic nose, monster blue and red fruit. More blue. Palate seems to be gulpable, lush, yet restrained...I'm working to restrain myself...so freakin good. Best Pinot of the year, none of the year's smoke...if it's there, it's in the category of smoky oak. But it's not smoky, it's perfect. Long tart finish. Perfectly balanced, perfect wine.
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- Crimsom color - Dark fruit, spice, and cola on the nose. Strawberries, raspberries, cola, spice, and nutmeg on the palate, with a touch of earth. This wine reminds me why the Hirsch is my favorite WS bottling. This will last for many years but it is drinking beautifully now, so why wait?
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Deep ruby color with thinning edges. Big, dark cherry and oak nose on opening the mellowed over the next couple of hours. Cooked cherry, smoke and chewy tannins present on the palate initially, evolving into more subtle red fruit and cola notes over time. Mouthfeel became more silky as the wine opened as well.
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Color is bright garnet with a little cherry skin mixed in. Nose was initially reticent but after a few minutes in the Glass and decanter, there were rose petals, violets, high-toned fruits, pomegranate, and a little pine. Palate was typical juicy cherry/red fruit acidity that coated the palate and saturated my taste buds. Fine tannins. Wine exhibited lots of tension and nerve. After a few hours of air, warm baking spices/fresh bread, a hint of cola and an increase in weight and viscosity occurred. Unlike other aspects of my life, I enoyed both sides of this nervous wine: it's initial femininity and later mild masculinity. It's got years ahead of it. Great wine-making in a tough year.
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7/11/2023 - Sperls Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice mature CA Pinot. Cherry cola, hint of sweetness and spice and a little savoriness, medium finish.
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2/23/2021 - wineoracle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red color. Cherries, raspberries, and other red fruits along with herbs and spice. Nice slightly tannic finish. Surprisingly youthful.
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10/25/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is still youthful with wonderful ripe dark cherry fruit and superb freshness and grip. It actually needed a good hour open to calm down and show perfect balance with a wonderful mineral complexity on the cherry-spice infused finish. The Hirsch Vineyard is one of WS's most consistently excellent bottlings for aging.
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11/6/2019 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 92 Points
At a great spot age wise, mature red pinot fruit, some savory spice, doubt this will improve further, for me most identifiable with older Arcadian pinot as it has an animalistic quality to the fruit, high toned and savory but not quite earthy/sous bois. Very enjoyable.
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9/6/2019 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
PnP. Medium red. High toned almost floral savory nose of red fruits and spice, especially sage. Red fruits and spice on the palate w good intensity; seems a bit lacking in the Hirsch iron/Gevrey flavors but good penetrance and length on the finish. Very good showing at age 11.
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9/30/2018 - MC wrote:
PNP and similar to my last note this is what you want in Cali Pinot. Balanced wine that shows solid fruit but also some earth and a long finish. Very enjoyable. Drink now. A-
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4/6/2018 - rosenst1 wrote: 92 Points
Cellared since release. PnP. Medium dark red with lightening at the edge. spicy nose with a hint of iron or intense mineral - pretty Hirsch typical. Good palate intensity - quite linear with the fruit subsumed by the mineral component. Finish is long but echoes spice and mineral. I think this has aged well; never a vineyard which yields showy fruit driven wines so quite typical. Perhaps not as intense as some but showing quite well at age 10; unlike others I don't find this over the edge.
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10/20/2017 - kkleg wrote: 92 Points
A bit subtle, but enjoyable. I prefer the 2009 right now.
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9/24/2017 - djarcara wrote: 88 Points
Medium body. Dark cherry fruit, black tea, leather, soy sauce, and cola predominate the palate. The finish is a bit astringent. On the backside of its drinking window. Drink up.
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7/21/2017 - brujazz wrote: 92 Points
Day 1 - Very good, but unfortunately about a year late in drinking it. Well balanced with a fruit filled bouquet and middle flavors. However, you could tell that a short time ago there was a lot more. What was there was complex right up to the finish, which really wasn't there. Too bad, it probably once was a contender. Rating 90
Day 2 - much better. Very near what I expected. Cherry cola up front. Elongated, complex finish. Rating up to a 92.
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5/30/2017 - Don and Pam Likes this wine: 92 Points
tasting nicely right now
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3/12/2017 - Deadhead wrote: 93 Points
Bright fruits. Well balanced. Delicious.
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2/12/2017 - jasonkle wrote: 90 Points
Starting to lose some fruit. Drink up.
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1/5/2017 - Deadhead wrote: 94 Points
Our first bottle of wine in 2017 - what a great way to start the year!!! We love Hirsch vineyard wines from WS. This is fantastic. Smooth - well integrated. Wonderful mix of red and black fruit. An elegant wine. I wish we were allocated more...
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12/25/2016 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 95 Points
With Christmas dinner at a restaurant (kitchen is under construction). One of the better Hirsch WS Pinots we have had. Bright red color. Lots of dark cherries and some smoke on the nose. The palate was silky smooth, with cherries dominant, but lots of spice and other secondary flavors running around in the mouth. Long, pleasant finish. Terrific.
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10/22/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well-done west coast Pinot with flavors of sharp cherry, mocha and iron minerals. Finishes with a nice mineral crunch. Ready now.
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9/24/2016 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured. Better with 30 minutes of air but drinking very well, delivering exactly what you want in Cali pinot, and should hold for quite some time. A-/A
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8/5/2016 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum.
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7/18/2015 - Moonie Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Stemmy and acidic. Mediocre. Bought on release.
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11/17/2014 - wineretriever wrote: 92 Points
While a bit tight. at first, it displayed after an hour sitting in glass cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry, crushed black rock, and dried leaves. Medium body with medium plus acidity on the palate; enjoyable concentration. Medium plus finish. Good stuff but won't touch other bottle for a few years.
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11/7/2014 - PVJC wrote:
Drank after a Kosta Browne '07 Sonoma Coast with no decanting. Was disappointing vs. expectations. Somewhat monolithic and hoped would evolve and improve after being open for a while but didn't change much, and same on day 2.
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6/21/2014 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted - recommended. Great garnet color. Sweet bing cherry, Asian spice and mushroom on the nose; tart cherry, forest floor, mushroom on the palate. Round, lingering finish. Delicious.
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5/31/2014 - blaine Likes this wine: 95 Points
"Wow, I love this wine. That's what I kept saying as heather and I enjoyed this amazing wine!! Gigantic nose, monster blue and red fruit. More blue. Palate seems to be gulpable, lush, yet restrained...I'm working to restrain myself...so freakin good. Best Pinot of the year, none of the year's smoke...if it's there, it's in the category of smoky oak. But it's not smoky, it's perfect. Long tart finish. Perfectly balanced, perfect wine.
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3/17/2014 - kkleg wrote: 94 Points
- Crimsom color - Dark fruit, spice, and cola on the nose. Strawberries, raspberries, cola, spice, and nutmeg on the palate, with a touch of earth. This wine reminds me why the Hirsch is my favorite WS bottling. This will last for many years but it is drinking beautifully now, so why wait?
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1/11/2014 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
silky mixed berry, some floral notes; medium body with fullness through mid palate; good balance; california style but with some elegance as well.
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12/21/2013 - kcp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definitely a Hirsch Vineyard wine. Seems a but muted on opening, satisfying after an hour, but turns a bit harsh after 2 hours.
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11/29/2013 - KeithSurg wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby color with thinning edges. Big, dark cherry and oak nose on opening the mellowed over the next couple of hours. Cooked cherry, smoke and chewy tannins present on the palate initially, evolving into more subtle red fruit and cola notes over time. Mouthfeel became more silky as the wine opened as well.
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4/27/2012 - kleinahoe wrote: 93 Points
Big with fruit and a little smoke.
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12/14/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 92 Points
Color is bright garnet with a little cherry skin mixed in. Nose was initially reticent but after a few minutes in the Glass and decanter, there were rose petals, violets, high-toned fruits, pomegranate, and a little pine. Palate was typical juicy cherry/red fruit acidity that coated the palate and saturated my taste buds. Fine tannins. Wine exhibited lots of tension and nerve. After a few hours of air, warm baking spices/fresh bread, a hint of cola and an increase in weight and viscosity occurred. Unlike other aspects of my life, I enoyed both sides of this nervous wine: it's initial femininity and later mild masculinity. It's got years ahead of it. Great wine-making in a tough year.
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