Hirsch, Estate Pinot Noir, 'The Bohan Dillon'

About two hours northwest of San Francisco, the landscape begins to change. Drive far enough north and west in Sonoma and the vineyards begin to thin out. The roads narrow. The trees grow taller. You start to wonder if anyone in their right mind would plant vines out here. And then, suddenly, you crest a ridge and see it — Pinot Noir planted in wind-battered rows, facing a horizon that disappears into the Pacific haze. This is not comfortable farming. It is not easy farming. It is farming on the edge. But the results are some of the best on earth, and Hirsch’s Bohan-Dillon Pinot is one of the clearest places to begin understanding the potential of this coastline. For those of you who love Burgundy, give this wine a serious look — in a blind tasting, it could easily pass for a top Pinot from the Côte de Nuits.

The true Sonoma Coast — now known as the West Sonoma Coast — is shaped entirely by that edge. Long, cool growing seasons. Afternoons wrapped in fog with intermittent sunshine. Wind that keeps yields in check and sugars balanced. The best vineyards sit close enough to the Pacific that maritime influence isn’t theoretical — it defines every vintage. This is where California Pinot naturally finds lift, structure, and composure. The wines don’t rely on weight. They rely on balance.

Hirsch is foundational to this story. David Hirsch planted the vineyard in 1980, when most believed this remote stretch near Fort Ross was too cold and too risky. He painstakingly divided the rugged property into small farming blocks, experimenting with clonal material and rootstocks long before that level of precision became common in California. Throughout the 1990s, Hirsch fruit became some of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in the state, bottled by producers like Williams Selyem and Littorai, helping establish the vineyard’s reputation as one of the great coastal sites. Eventually the estate transitioned fully to its own label, refining a philosophy built around transparency, site expression, and careful farming. Today, under Jasmine Hirsch’s leadership, the vineyard continues to evolve with a focus on biodiversity, regenerative farming, and thoughtful stewardship of this extreme coastal terrain.

The Bohan-Dillon bottling is inspired by the great village wines of Burgundy — a wine meant to capture the broader personality of the estate and the West Sonoma Coast. It is 100% Pinot Noir from Hirsch estate fruit, farmed with biodynamic principles. The vines are mature and deeply rooted, planted across multiple blocks and clonal selections that bring both structure and aromatic nuance. The fruit is hand-harvested, fermented in small open-top tanks, and aged in French oak with a restrained touch of new barrels. Bottled in June 2025 at just 13.0% alcohol, it carries the natural energy that defines this site.

The 2024 is the best wine from Hirsch I’ve tasted in years. Its tension, its purity, its Burgundian clarity and savory depth show a character that reflects the meticulous work done in the vineyard. This is incredible California Pinot Noir — poised, balanced, and quietly complex — on par with top Burgundy at twice the price.

In the glass, it opens with red cherry, wild strawberry, and crushed raspberry layered with rose petal and black tea, with a subtle saline edge that hints at its coastal origin. There’s fine earth and forest herbs beneath the fruit. The palate is supple yet structured, driven by bright natural acidity and framed by fine-grained tannins. The finish is long, steady, and composed — freshness and delicate fruit carrying it forward rather than weight.

It belongs at the table with a great meal. Roast duck with thyme, grilled salmon over charcoal, mushroom risotto, pork tenderloin with herbs, or a simple roast chicken with crisp skin and sea salt all feel right. Serve it cellar cool, around 60°F, in Burgundy stems for best results. If drinking young, a short 30-minute decant will allow the aromatics to fully open.

Hirsch helped define what serious Pinot Noir from the far Sonoma Coast could be. The 2024 Bohan-Dillon captures that legacy clearly — wind, patience, and precision — delivered in a wine that confidently overdelivers at its price point.