Hirsch Vineyard

5Sonoma Coast

Grape Stats

Varietal:
Pinot Noir

Clones:
Block 4B: Mt. Eden; Block 5E: Pommard; Block 6F: Swan

Rootstocks:
Block 4B: AXR; Block 5E: AXR; Block 6F: 3309; Block 23-3: Riparia Gloire; Blocks 12-1A: 101-14

Vineyard Stats

Number of acres:
12 acres

Topopgraphy:
Rolling hills

Elevation:
700 – 1000 feet

Soil type:
Well drained gravelly loams, with severe limestone fractures

Trellising:
Smart Dyson and bilateral cordon

Irrigated:
Yes

Cover crop:
Native grasses, including oats and rye

Owner: David Hirsch

David Hirsch is a man of few words. He would much rather be out in the vineyard than talking about it. David has been growing Pinot Noir for Williams Selyem since 1994.

Vineyard History

Hirsch began planting his vineyard in 1980. Originally he planted some Riesling. Then a mentor told him, “If you plant Pinot Noir here, you’ll be famous,” and helped him get cuttings of the best clones from Oregon. Most of his soils are uplifted seabed, gravelly loam with varying degrees of clay. The vineyard is 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean with an elevation of 1,400 feet. The climate is one of extremes in rainfall, wind and temperature, varying greatly from week-to-week and season-to-season.