Estate Chardonnay

Learn More About This Wine

The 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 Hirsch’s 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 Hirsch Estate Chardonnay, first produced in 2006. With less than 4 acres of Chardonnay vines, production is very limited, and 100% of the fruit is kept for the estate.

The 2023 Chardonnay was direct pressed and transferred to French and Eastern European oak barrels, 28% new, for fermentation and elevage. No yeast was added at any point. Primary and malolactic fermentations occurred in barrel. No lees stirring was employed. The wine was racked clean to stainless steel for one month before bottling.