Hirsch Vineyards, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2020

With less than 4 acres of Chardonnay vines, production is very limited, and 100% of the fruit is kept for the Estate. Hirsch Estate Chardonnay has complex aromatics with a generous mouthfeel and refreshing minerality.

Hirsch’s 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 had the crazy idea to put in Nebbiolo. Burt Williams, who had begun buying their Pinot Noir fruit 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 chardonnay vineyard. Together these two tiny plantings comprise Hirsch Estate Chardonnay, produced since 2006.