The 1996 Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard reveals the vineyard's high tannin, as well as high acidity, raspberry and cherry fruit, and an intriguing earthy/terroir-driven, compressed personality. I found it somewhat austere and acidic, so I am reserving judgment until I can see another bottle in several years. It appears to be a keeper, but the high acidity combined with the high tannin causes me to worry about the wine's balance. The eight Pinot Noir tasting notes in this segment represent about half of the available cuvees. All of the offerings revealed high levels of tangy acidity, a style that allows the winery to utilize extremely low levels of sulphur, a worthy objective. I tasted four 1996 Pinot Noirs,all of which has been sold out. They are bottled with no fining or filtration after only two rackings. These wines tend to be aged in Francois Freres Burgundy cooperage, with a high percentage of new oak. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 578-3882