2013 Hirsch Estate Chardonnay

Our Estate Chardonnay is the only white wine produced at Hirsch. With less than four acres of Chardonnay vines, production is highly limited. Vine age, dramatic soils, and our extreme maritime climate combine to create a wine of dazzling acidity, silky texture and pronounced minerality.

Our first Chardonnay vineyard was planted in 1994. That year, David Hirsch prepared 2.5 acres for planting on a rocky, 40% slope above his house. He was enamored with Barolo and intended to plant Nebbiolo. Burt Williams, who was buying our Pinot Noir grapes for his winery Williams Selyem, told David he was nuts and should plant Chardonnay instead. Thus the old Chardonnay vineyard was born. The cuttings came from Joe Rochioli; Williams Selyem made the wine from 1997 to 2000; Kistler took the fruit through 2005. In 2002 David planted an additional 1.4 acres of Chardonnay on a sandstone hill in field 12, just over the hill from the old vineyard. Together these two tiny vineyards comprise our estate Chardonnay, first produced in 2006.

Winemaking

The 2013 Chardonnay was pressed and transferred to French oak barrels, about 15% new, for fermentation and the first 12 months of elevage. Primary and malolactic fermentations occurred in barrel. Very minimal lees stirring was employed. The wine was racked with its lees to stainless steel tanks for the last 6 months of the elevage.

Tasting Notes

Ideal growing conditions in 2013 produced gorgeous, aromatic wines. The 2013 Hirsch Chardonnay is round, bright and focused. The fruit has broadened and deepened with age, resulting in a wine that combines the best of both worlds: the freshness of youth with the complexity of age!