How nice it is to hold
a wine an additional year before sale. A year ago this one would
have been more difficult to comprehend than the 1999 Roll. The
nose is still brooding a bit, but packed tightly with the typical
Roll apricot and plum fruits. The mouth is unbelievably concentrated
and the wine has amazing length-- seamless in texture from the
first burst of fruit in the mouth to the very copious but fine
textured tannins in the finish. If the 1996, 1999 and E.H. are
the biggest of the bunch, the E.H. is the most elegant of the
big boys. You really can drink this one today, and I recommend
you try one now, but certainly hold on to a few bottles as this
wine has the structure for years and years of positive development.
For those of you who buy
6 bottles, they will come in a cute little Ojai Vineyard wooden
box. Magnums are also available, packed individually in a special
wooden box crafted by a local artisan.