The Ojai Vineyard SPRING 2009

SPRING 2009

We are thrilled with the results of our recent harvests, and I hope you share in our enthusiasm for the wines described here. It seems as though years of thought on craft has finally crystallized. And although we make changes slowly and incrementally, we've seen great progress in a short period of time. We think these wines are among our most aromatic and best balanced to date. Enjoy!

Adam Tolmach

2007 RIESLING KICK ON RANCH
Santa Barbara County

Northern Santa Barbara County, with mountain ranges that run east-west, is blessed with cooling summertime ocean breezes. We in Ojai are not, because there is a mountain blocking the way. When Ojai is hot, from July through early September, my taste in wine wanders to light, acidic red wines and particularly to crisp white wines. Zippy Chardonnays, taut Sauvignon Blancs, and dry Rieslings are what I enjoy when the thermometer goes above 90 degrees.

So when I heard about a very cool-climate vineyard west of Los Alamos that had Riesling for sale, my imagination ran wild with thoughts of producing a wine like the fascinating dry German and Austrian Rieslings that I enjoy so much. One peek at the vineyard and I was convinced it was an ideal site. Located parallel to the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills appellation, Kick On Ranch is planted in poor sandy soil, so the vines struggle to grow and produce only a small crop.

From this fruit we have been able to produce a wine of incredible distinction that tastes nothing like any California Riesling I have ever had. It expresses its varietal character with aromas of lemon peel and minerals. The wine has a mouth-coating richness, yet it is crisp, fresh and very dry. My family has a long tradition of dismissing white wines as unimportant, but when I poured this Riesling during the winter holiday, everyone took notice and enjoyed it.

2007 CHARDONNAY BIEN NACIDO
Santa Maria Valley

I've been amused seeing the development in California of what is called un-oaked chardonnay. It's a natural reaction to the lavishly oaked, cloyingly rich chardonnays from Napa. How winemakers got so far off track producing ever oakier, more ponderous wines-while thinking they were making the ultimate expression of chardonnay--is beyond me. Though I have my quibbles about the results of fermenting and aging in tanks, some special wines are made that way, and it is surely is a step in the right direction. What the un-oaked advocates have right is that too much new oak destroys what is distinctive about chardonnay.

Where I diverge from tank-fermenting advocates is in my love of what fermenting and aging in older barrels can bring out in wine. Some oxidation takes place, allowing the flavors to mature and giving richness to an otherwise lean structure. Chardonnay fermented in tank can be successful if the fruit is particularly expressive, but my favorite examples are almost always aged in older wood.

For years we produced our Bien Nacido chardonnay by fermenting and aging it in oak barrels, one third of them new. While that gave the wine a rich toasty character, we found that the new oak made it heavier and less friendly with food--and dominated over the considerable charms that the vineyard possessed. Since 2000, our Bien Nacido has been our argument in favor of using only older barrels in the production of chardonnay. At first, some people couldn't understand what was so great about a wine with some restraint, but these days people are embracing the idea that wine is not a meal in itself but a beautiful synergistic accompaniment to food.

In 2007 the vines were drought stressed and yielded a very small crop, giving us a wine that is expressive and flavorful. While its youthful acidity stands out at the moment, this wine is already a great match with rich flavored foods

2007 CHARDONNAY SOLOMON HILLS
Santa Maria Valley

I continue to be impressed by the wines from this vineyard. They have a delicacy and clarity that is enticing if you give them some time. Solomon Hills chardonnay doesn't knock you over the head with oak or toast, but gently seduces you with its subtle charms.

This 2007 chardonnay has a wonderful suppleness and a beautiful aroma of pear, lemon peel and earth. There is precision and fineness in the texture, and its lemony flavors linger on the palate. Decanting is not a common practice with white wines, but we always recommend it for ours, and it certainly helps this wine open up and show its stuff.

2006 PINOT NOIR BIEN NACIDO
Santa Maria Valley

I'd like to think our work could progress in a straight line, but there always is a bit of trial and error in crafting wine. You tack in one direction to achieve something only to find that you've gone too far, so you take a new sighting and cast off in a slightly different direction, hoping to achieve your goals. Perfection is never attained, but you strive to get closer to your aim.

In the old days of California wine, we grew big unruly bush vines that produced fruit that ripened unevenly. To deal with the uneven ripeness, we picked the grapes after the least ripe ones were ready. As viticulture progressed, we began growing the vines in vertical trellises that allowed all of the fruit to get the same amount of sun exposure, which evened up the ripening. Later, further refinements like shoot-thinning, lateral removal, and green thinning contributed to more even maturation. These techniques have allowed us to pick physiologically ripe grapes at lower sugar levels, and the Bien Nacido pinot is an example of what we can achieve. At lower sugar levels, we find these wines have more floral and spicy nuances. They are simply more aromatic. That powerful sweet/smooth textural sensation of wine at high alcohol levels is gone, and some will miss it. For me, however, these new wines of ours are fresher and livelier, making them a joy to drink and a pleasure to have with a fine meal. This is our 16th Bien Nacido pinot noir from our little section on the east side of Q Block, and I think it is our finest.

2006 PINOT NOIR FE CIEGA
Santa Rita Hills

One might assume that since we have such a mild climate here in southern California, the wines would not vary much from year to year, but that is simply not the case. Annual rainfall, weather and crop load are three of the main reasons for vintage variations. The wine from the Fe Ciega vineyard illustrates those differences--despite the fact that Rick Longoria does such an admirably consistent job farming his vineyard.

We have gone from a super intense wine in 2003 (tiny crop), to a lavishly rich wine in 2004 (hot year), to a lively and nuanced one in 2005 (heavy winter rainfall, big crop, ideal weather), to a concentrated and fresh one in 2006 (moderate crop, cool summer). The 2006 that we offer now is terrific because it is intensely flavored while maintaining focus and freshness.

As always, Fe Ciega offers lots of pretty floral and herb aromas with its blackberry fruit and an intriguing rustic, animal character that comes through in the finish. Although young, this wine drinks beautifully today.

2005 SYRAH THOMPSON
Santa Barbara County

Traditionally our most burly syrah, Thompson is the slowest of our wines to evolve. Since 2002, we have added a bit of grenache and/or mourvedre to add to the complexity of flavors and to make this wine a little less monolithic. The results have not been dramatic, as the wine is still a monster, but it is now friendlier in its youth.

In 2005 we took another step towards better balance and began fermenting the Thompson in a different way. We are attempting to extract more of the flavors from the grape skins earlier in the fermentation. As a result, we are now mixing the grapes (punching down) more frequently prior to and at the start of fermentation, and doing less after the midpoint. The theory is that, as the wine ferments and gains in alcohol, that alcohol extracts harsh tannins from the grape skins, so extracting the flavors early gives more fruitiness and less bite. I have a customer who was quite concerned that these changes would transform the hearty wine that Thompson is into something meek. Quite the contrary, this wine is mouth-coating and dense, showing beautiful aromatic purity. While it is enticing today, ideally this syrah should be cellared for another 7-10 years, allowing all its potential to be realized.

2005 SYRAH BIEN NACIDO
Santa Maria Valley

It is hard to describe this wine because it breaks all the rules; in fact, it teaches the lesson that there really are no rules. Decades ago I believed that a wine type should have a particular acidity level and pH and if they were not correct, one adjusted them. I realized this logic was wrong back in 1989 when Jim Clendenen and I made a chardonnay from Rancho Vinedo. By the numbers, it seemed slightly deficient in acidity, so I added a little grape (tartaric) acid during its barrel fermentation.

As it turned out, Bob Lindquist also got a batch of the same grapes but made the wine without added acid. After harvest, when we tried the two wines together, it became obvious to me that Bob's wine was delicious while the added acid in our wine stuck out like a sore thumb. Despite a decade of winemaking experience, until then, I hadn't figured out that I shouldn't rely on numbers.

Although unmanipulated in any way, this Bien Nacido syrah is wrong as far as numbers go--it is too high in acidity and too high in alcohol, but the aroma and flavors are truly fantastic. From its near black color, you can tell you're in for a mouthful, but it's surprising how balanced this large-scale wine is. The aroma grabs you with an appealing toasty quality which is quickly overwhelmed by luxurious dark-plum fruitiness, and then finishes with a strong peppery, floral brightness. The flavor is so concentrated and rich, yet it feels light on the palate because of the wine's juicy acidity. This special and delicious wine is ready to enjoy now, and it will continue to evolve for at least a decade more.

2008 ROSÉ
California Table Wine

Our move away from using saignée (drawing juice off a red wine tank before it initiates fermentation) as a winemaking technique has benefited our red wines, as they are now less clunky and tannic. Interestingly, it has also helped our rosé in the same sort of way. A number of years ago the rosés seemed too heavy, but by harvesting earlier and using the typical white wine technique of whole-cluster pressing, we are able to produce a wine that is alive and food friendly. The wine has a delicate salmon cast, a captivating, complex aroma, and lots of savory flavor.

The core of this wine comes from a section of Roll Ranch syrah that we have not used in our Roll bottling for years. It was farmed as usual, yielding a meager 2.5 tons per acre, and was harvested at a relatively low sugar level of 22 degrees Brix. We barrel fermented the juice in older wood and produced a very minerally-textured rosé that was a delight to the palate. We also took a selection of grenache and mourvedre fruit, pressing and barrel fermenting it as well. The final blend came together with the addition of a barrel of sauvignon blanc, my secret ingredient that gives the rosé a zestiness that makes it especially food friendly.

2004 SYRAH WHITE HAWK MAGNUM
Santa Barbara County. 1.5l

This is the note written when the wine was released in the Spring of 2007:

Aromatically and texturally this wine, by no design of my own, comes closest to that "international style" that I love to take pot shots at. This wine truly is a monolithic monster that is spicy and mineral-y in aroma as well as dense and mouth-coating. It's a style that many people love to drink young, and, although it is drinkable now, I think that's ultimately unfair to this wine. I wouldn't even think of opening it for at least five years because I have found that, with time, many of our wines similar to this one shed their baby fat and become balanced, compelling and interesting wines with age. This one has all the elements to mature gracefully for years.

2006 SYRAH
Santa Barbara County

This is a really powerful and intensely flavored wine that is also lively enough to be engaging and delicious right now. The wine is made from a blend of all of our syrah vineyards, and the farming is strict-we aim for very low yields. For the last several vintages we have blended quite a bit of grenache and mourvedre in the blend, which gives the wine greater complexity and aromatic interest.

OJAI WHITE & OJAI RED
Non Vintage, California

Don't let yourself be distracted by the affordable price. These two wines are terrific, always full of charater and easy to enjoy. They are made with the barrels that did not make the selection for the single vineyard bottlings and they received the same care and dedication as any of our more recognized wines. The result is a winery blend that seems to follow it's own mind and achieve quiet elegance.

Orders taken now for shipment in the Fall. Online Store Join the Mailing List Email us NEW Wine Club 2007 Riesling Kick On 2007 Chardonnay Bien Nacido 2007 Chardonnay Solomon Hills 2006 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido 2006 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega 2005 Syrah Thompson 2005 Syrah Bien Nacido 2008 Rosé 2004 Syrah White Hawk Magnum 2006 Syrah Ojai Red & Ojai White Library Wines Shipping Frequently Asked Question Upcoming Releases Prior Tasting Notes Vintage Charts Past "Notes from the Vineyard" Information about The Ojai Vineyard Handmade wines since 1983.


	SPRING 2009 We are thrilled with the results of our recent harvests, and I hope you share in our enthusiasm for the wines described here. It seems as though years of thought on craft has finally crystallized. And although we make changes slowly and incrementally, we've seen great progress in a short period of time. We think these wines are among our most aromatic and best balanced to date. Enjoy! Adam Tolmach 2007 RIESLING KICK ON RANCH Santa Barbara County Northern Santa Barbara County, with mountain ranges that run east-west, is blessed with cooling summertime ocean breezes. We in Ojai are not, because there is a mountain blocking the way. When Ojai is hot, from July through early September, my taste in wine wanders to light, acidic red wines and particularly to crisp white wines. Zippy Chardonnays, taut Sauvignon Blancs, and dry Rieslings are what I enjoy when the thermometer goes above 90 degrees. So when I heard about a very cool-climate vineyard west of Los Alamos that had Riesling for sale, my imagination ran wild with thoughts of producing a wine like the fascinating dry German and Austrian Rieslings that I enjoy so much. One peek at the vineyard and I was convinced it was an ideal site. Located parallel to the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills appellation, Kick On Ranch is planted in poor sandy soil, so the vines struggle to grow and produce only a small crop. From this fruit we have been able to produce a wine of incredible distinction that tastes nothing like any California Riesling I have ever had. It expresses its varietal character with aromas of lemon peel and minerals. The wine has a mouth-coating richness, yet it is crisp, fresh and very dry. My family has a long tradition of dismissing white wines as unimportant, but when I poured this Riesling during the winter holiday, everyone took notice and enjoyed it. 2007 CHARDONNAY BIEN NACIDO Santa Maria Valley I've been amused seeing the development in California of what is called un-oaked chardonnay. It's a natural reaction to the lavishly oaked, cloyingly rich chardonnays from Napa. How winemakers got so far off track producing ever oakier, more ponderous wines-while thinking they were making the ultimate expression of chardonnay--is beyond me. Though I have my quibbles about the results of fermenting and aging in tanks, some special wines are made that way, and it is surely is a step in the right direction. What the un-oaked advocates have right is that too much new oak destroys what is distinctive about chardonnay. Where I diverge from tank-fermenting advocates is in my love of what fermenting and aging in older barrels can bring out in wine. Some oxidation takes place, allowing the flavors to mature and giving richness to an otherwise lean structure. Chardonnay fermented in tank can be successful if the fruit is particularly expressive, but my favorite examples are almost always aged in older wood. For years we produced our Bien Nacido chardonnay by fermenting and aging it in oak barrels, one third of them new. While that gave the wine a rich toasty character, we found that the new oak made it heavier and less friendly with food--and dominated over the considerable charms that the vineyard possessed. Since 2000, our Bien Nacido has been our argument in favor of using only older barrels in the production of chardonnay. At first, some people couldn't understand what was so great about a wine with some restraint, but these days people are embracing the idea that wine is not a meal in itself but a beautiful synergistic accompaniment to food. In 2007 the vines were drought stressed and yielded a very small crop, giving us a wine that is expressive and flavorful. While its youthful acidity stands out at the moment, this wine is already a great match with rich flavored foods 2007 CHARDONNAY SOLOMON HILLS Santa Maria Valley I continue to be impressed by the wines from this vineyard. They have a delicacy and clarity that is enticing if you give them some time. Solomon Hills chardonnay doesn't knock you over the head with oak or toast, but gently seduces you with its subtle charms. This 2007 chardonnay has a wonderful suppleness and a beautiful aroma of pear, lemon peel and earth. There is precision and fineness in the texture, and its lemony flavors linger on the palate. Decanting is not a common practice with white wines, but we always recommend it for ours, and it certainly helps this wine open up and show its stuff. 2006 PINOT NOIR BIEN NACIDO Santa Maria Valley I'd like to think our work could progress in a straight line, but there always is a bit of trial and error in crafting wine. You tack in one direction to achieve something only to find that you've gone too far, so you take a new sighting and cast off in a slightly different direction, hoping to achieve your goals. Perfection is never attained, but you strive to get closer to your aim. In the old days of California wine, we grew big unruly bush vines that produced fruit that ripened unevenly. To deal with the uneven ripeness, we picked the grapes after the least ripe ones were ready. As viticulture progressed, we began growing the vines in vertical trellises that allowed all of the fruit to get the same amount of sun exposure, which evened up the ripening. Later, further refinements like shoot-thinning, lateral removal, and green thinning contributed to more even maturation. These techniques have allowed us to pick physiologically ripe grapes at lower sugar levels, and the Bien Nacido pinot is an example of what we can achieve. At lower sugar levels, we find these wines have more floral and spicy nuances. They are simply more aromatic. That powerful sweet/smooth textural sensation of wine at high alcohol levels is gone, and some will miss it. For me, however, these new wines of ours are fresher and livelier, making them a joy to drink and a pleasure to have with a fine meal. This is our 16th Bien Nacido pinot noir from our little section on the east side of Q Block, and I think it is our finest. 2006 PINOT NOIR FE CIEGA Santa Rita Hills One might assume that since we have such a mild climate here in southern California, the wines would not vary much from year to year, but that is simply not the case. Annual rainfall, weather and crop load are three of the main reasons for vintage variations. The wine from the Fe Ciega vineyard illustrates those differences--despite the fact that Rick Longoria does such an admirably consistent job farming his vineyard. We have gone from a super intense wine in 2003 (tiny crop), to a lavishly rich wine in 2004 (hot year), to a lively and nuanced one in 2005 (heavy winter rainfall, big crop, ideal weather), to a concentrated and fresh one in 2006 (moderate crop, cool summer). The 2006 that we offer now is terrific because it is intensely flavored while maintaining focus and freshness. As always, Fe Ciega offers lots of pretty floral and herb aromas with its blackberry fruit and an intriguing rustic, animal character that comes through in the finish. Although young, this wine drinks beautifully today. 2005 SYRAH THOMPSON Santa Barbara County Traditionally our most burly syrah, Thompson is the slowest of our wines to evolve. Since 2002, we have added a bit of grenache and/or mourvedre to add to the complexity of flavors and to make this wine a little less monolithic. The results have not been dramatic, as the wine is still a monster, but it is now friendlier in its youth. In 2005 we took another step towards better balance and began fermenting the Thompson in a different way. We are attempting to extract more of the flavors from the grape skins earlier in the fermentation. As a result, we are now mixing the grapes (punching down) more frequently prior to and at the start of fermentation, and doing less after the midpoint. The theory is that, as the wine ferments and gains in alcohol, that alcohol extracts harsh tannins from the grape skins, so extracting the flavors early gives more fruitiness and less bite. I have a customer who was quite concerned that these changes would transform the hearty wine that Thompson is into something meek. Quite the contrary, this wine is mouth-coating and dense, showing beautiful aromatic purity. While it is enticing today, ideally this syrah should be cellared for another 7-10 years, allowing all its potential to be realized. 2005 SYRAH BIEN NACIDO Santa Maria Valley It is hard to describe this wine because it breaks all the rules; in fact, it teaches the lesson that there really are no rules. Decades ago I believed that a wine type should have a particular acidity level and pH and if they were not correct, one adjusted them. I realized this logic was wrong back in 1989 when Jim Clendenen and I made a chardonnay from Rancho Vinedo. By the numbers, it seemed slightly deficient in acidity, so I added a little grape (tartaric) acid during its barrel fermentation. As it turned out, Bob Lindquist also got a batch of the same grapes but made the wine without added acid. After harvest, when we tried the two wines together, it became obvious to me that Bob's wine was delicious while the added acid in our wine stuck out like a sore thumb. Despite a decade of winemaking experience, until then, I hadn't figured out that I shouldn't rely on numbers. Although unmanipulated in any way, this Bien Nacido syrah is wrong as far as numbers go--it is too high in acidity and too high in alcohol, but the aroma and flavors are truly fantastic. From its near black color, you can tell you're in for a mouthful, but it's surprising how balanced this large-scale wine is. The aroma grabs you with an appealing toasty quality which is quickly overwhelmed by luxurious dark-plum fruitiness, and then finishes with a strong peppery, floral brightness. The flavor is so concentrated and rich, yet it feels light on the palate because of the wine's juicy acidity. This special and delicious wine is ready to enjoy now, and it will continue to evolve for at least a decade more. 2008 ROSÉ California Table Wine Our move away from using saignée (drawing juice off a red wine tank before it initiates fermentation) as a winemaking technique has benefited our red wines, as they are now less clunky and tannic. Interestingly, it has also helped our rosé in the same sort of way. A number of years ago the rosés seemed too heavy, but by harvesting earlier and using the typical white wine technique of whole-cluster pressing, we are able to produce a wine that is alive and food friendly. The wine has a delicate salmon cast, a captivating, complex aroma, and lots of savory flavor. The core of this wine comes from a section of Roll Ranch syrah that we have not used in our Roll bottling for years. It was farmed as usual, yielding a meager 2.5 tons per acre, and was harvested at a relatively low sugar level of 22 degrees Brix. We barrel fermented the juice in older wood and produced a very minerally-textured rosé that was a delight to the palate. We also took a selection of grenache and mourvedre fruit, pressing and barrel fermenting it as well. The final blend came together with the addition of a barrel of sauvignon blanc, my secret ingredient that gives the rosé a zestiness that makes it especially food friendly. 2004 SYRAH WHITE HAWK MAGNUM Santa Barbara County. 1.5l This is the note written when the wine was released in the Spring of 2007: Aromatically and texturally this wine, by no design of my own, comes closest to that "international style" that I love to take pot shots at. This wine truly is a monolithic monster that is spicy and mineral-y in aroma as well as dense and mouth-coating. It's a style that many people love to drink young, and, although it is drinkable now, I think that's ultimately unfair to this wine. I wouldn't even think of opening it for at least five years because I have found that, with time, many of our wines similar to this one shed their baby fat and become balanced, compelling and interesting wines with age. This one has all the elements to mature gracefully for years. 2006 SYRAH Santa Barbara County This is a really powerful and intensely flavored wine that is also lively enough to be engaging and delicious right now. The wine is made from a blend of all of our syrah vineyards, and the farming is strict-we aim for very low yields. For the last several vintages we have blended quite a bit of grenache and mourvedre in the blend, which gives the wine greater complexity and aromatic interest. OJAI WHITE & OJAI RED Non Vintage, California Don't let yourself be distracted by the affordable price. These two wines are terrific, always full of charater and easy to enjoy. They are made with the barrels that did not make the selection for the single vineyard bottlings and they received the same care and dedication as any of our more recognized wines. The result is a winery blend that seems to follow it's own mind and achieve quiet elegance. Back to top of page...