Upper Ojai, Ventura County
We always have mixed feelings about comments on our wines. While not always pleasant to hear, criticism is most useful for me–who needs slavish adoration? (Hasn’t my head swelled sufficiently already? So anyway,) As pleased as we are for the many positive comments about the 2000 Roll, they’re disturbing, because the 2000 is the most atypical of the Roll’s we’ve made. Almost all were tannic monsters that have required a few years to show their stuff. But if the 2000 is used as a reference, one might be disillusioned by other vintages if drunk too soon-and this would be a terrible pity. With a little time those tannins melt away and the wines give great drinking pleasure. Lately we’ve been enjoying the 1996 and 1997 quite a lot. This brings us to the 2002. It possesses terrific, hedonistic Roll Ranch fruit, but there is a layer of tannin that is exactly what this wine needs in order to age gracefully. It’s not a drink-today proposition, but that’s not what we’re trying to do here at The Ojai Vineyard. We love the changes wines go through as they age in the bottle. And if one produces soft, ready to enjoy wine, one cannot experience the joy of seeing wine progressively evolve. Check it out in five or six years-we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Blend: 100% Syrah | Alcohol: 14.5% | Vinification: 20% New French Oak | Barrel Aging: 22 Months