Ojai’s 2009 Syrah is fabulous. Dark plums, cherries, licorice and mint burst from the glass in this gorgeous, entry-level Syrah. The estate’s Syrah is a selection of barrels made in the cellar, and includes bits of all of the single vineyards in the Ojai stable. In 2009, Adam Tolmach used less new oak than normal for his single-vineyard Syrahs, consequently there is a little more new oak (around 10%) in this entry-level bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.
This is a gorgeous set of wines from Ojai and proprietor Adam Tolmach. The 2009 Pinots and 2008 Syrahs in particular are terrific. The best Ojai wines – and there are many that vie for that label – are gorgeous, transparent to site and highly expressive. As always, the style at Ojai is fairly non-interventionalist. Since 2005, the fermentations have been gentler, with less overall extraction. The malos proceed naturally and slowly. As a rule, the wines are never racked until bottling. The Ojai wines remain exceedingly fairly priced considering the quality and painstaking effort that goes into every bottle.
Tel. (805) 649-1674; www.ojaivineyard.com