Upper Ojai, Ventura County
Roll Ranch is unusual. Most warm climate vineyards have no problem ripening fruit, the issue is whether they can produce balanced wines. Vineyards in warm sites generally turn out grapes with too much sugar and too little acidity, the resulting wines are often awkward. But at this site we are blessed with great balance.
Being a warm site we ferment the Roll Ranch in a fundamentally different way. We add a small portion of viognier to help propel the aromatics, and rely on fermenting with a majority of whole clusters to bring a spicy character to the wine. Making this wine has been a 19-year evolution. Learning how to listen to what a vineyard has to say and capturing its spirit is a slow process!
We were gratified to hear this wine recently received rave reviews from the critics, and I think you will enjoy it too. Drink now or watch it develop over the next 20 years, Roll Ranch wines age gracefully.
Blend: 98% Syrah 2% Viognier | Alc: 13.5% | Vinification: Barrel fermented in French Oak, 15% New | Barrel Aging: 16 Months | Total Production 290 Cases
Press Reviews
Antonio Galloni’s Vinous
“The 2013 Syrah Roll Ranch is a dark, heady wine. Truffle, smoke, lavender and blueberry jam give the 2013 much of its exotic personality. Super-ripe and racy in the glass, the 2013 tastes like it was picked on the later side. Even so, the Roll Ranch retains the very classic Ojai mid-weight sense of structure. This is one of the more exuberant, flamboyant wines in the Ojai range this year, but firm tannins extend the finish and give the wine a closing burst of energy.” -AG 96 Points
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“A pretty, charming and approachable example of this cuvee, the 2013 Syrah Roll Ranch offers a perfumed bouquet of black raspberries, ripe cherries, spring flowers and hints of sappy herbs in a medium-bodied, elegant and silky package that goes down far too easily. It’s already hard to resist, but should be at its best from 2018-2025. ” – JD 91 Points
2013 roll ranch syrah onesheet
