2012 Hirsch ‘East Ridge’ Estate Pinot Noir

The East Ridge Estate Pinot Noir is a mountain wine: muscular, dark-fruited and structured, it’s a regal and powerful Pinot Noir that is among our most cellar-worthy.

Sloping steeply into a deep, interior valley, the East Ridge is somewhat sheltered from the full onslaught of the coastal influences, making this a relatively warmer site. These vines are some of the oldest at Hirsch and are stressed by phylloxera and shallow mountain soils. Yields are extremely low in the oldest sections.

Around eighty percent of the old vines on the East Ridge are stricken with phylloxera, requiring intensive and meticulous vine-by-vine farming.

Tasting Notes

Dense, muscular and powerful, the 2012 East Ridge is showing just the beginnings of age. On opening, the fruit is still a bit shy; with air, notes of cranberry, leather and anise emerge. The palate is juicy, sappy and structured. The fruit is coating: this wine has not yet shed all its baby fat. There’s an immediacy that’s incredibly compelling. Open minimum one hour before drinking; decant if desired. Updated November 2025.