Reviews by Matthew Luczy, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
October 2024
The 2021 Syrah Duvarita Vineyard was destemmed and aged 16 months in neutral barrels. The nose is a beautiful combination of racy, savory and brooding, with aromas of sandalwood, beef jerky and dried tobacco appearing and gaining intensity after aeration. The palate is the most elegant and high-toned of the Syrah roster, displaying this site’s windswept, sandy nature in its ethereal, lifted texture. It concludes with weightless and refined intensity, framed by fine, sturdy tannins and tenaciously lingering meaty, savory flavors. It’s a fantastic example of Santa Barbara County Syrah that can be had for a song. 95 Points
2021 Syrah Special Bottling – Solomon Hills
Always one of the more intriguing Syrahs of the Central Coast, the 2021 Syrah Solomon Hills Special Bottling is gorgeously harmonious on the nose, sporting an alluring combination of saturated, luscious fruit aromas, brooding savory and spice notes and floral, balancing top notes. The palate is velvety and layered, perfectly balancing richness—even decadence—with poise and focus with zero excess weight. The finish is balanced and rich, framed with fine, spherical tannins and deliciously savory complexity. Three barrels were produced of this soulful expression of Santa Barbara County Syrah. 94+ Points
2022 Grenache – John Sebastiano
The 2022 Grenache John Sebastiano Vineyard beautifully expresses what Central Coast Grenache is capable of if the right site is harvested at the right time and the wine is neither under-made nor over-made. It is aromatically beautiful from the first pour, combining classic, pure aromas of anise, white pepper, dried leather and dark fruit compote. The palate straddles a perfect midpoint between dense, plush richness and lifted, vibrant energy, transitioning into a long, lingering and nuanced finish with an impressively ethereal tannin structure. This is delicious already, but I suspect it will evolve beautifully in the cellar over the next decade. 94+ Points
2022 Pinot Noir – Fe Ciega ‘Devoto’
The 2022 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Devoto is a selection of Pommard and Mt. Eden clones fermented with 32% whole clusters and aged 14 months in 22% new French oak. Compared to the Discípulo bottling’s relatively forward nature, this is the more elegant and elusive side of the coin, leading with savory forest floor aromas and pure, fragrant floral accents. The palate is silky, understated and delicate, easing into itself slowly and continuously unfolding in the glass with increased tension and agility. The finish clearly shows the grippy influence of whole clusters, which are already impressively integrated and provide a beautiful, ethereal lift. This is a gorgeous expression of the Sta. Rita Hills and a centerpiece of The Ojai Vineyard lineup. 94 Points
2022 Pinot Noir – Kessler-Haak
Fermented with 28% whole clusters and aged 15 months in 57% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Kessler Haak Vineyard is a classically dark, brooding yet lifted expression of this pocket of the Sta. Rita Hills. The nose combines nuanced dark fruit aromas, exotic spices and dried tobacco flourishes. The palate is silky and energetic yet deep and layered, finishing with impressive saturation, weightless, earth-tinged decadence and fine yet grippy tannins layered with streaks of saline lift. This is a highlight of The Ojai Vineyard’s lineup, and it should drink beautifully over the coming decade. 94 Points
Fermented with 20% whole clusters, the 2021 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard spent 16 months in French oak. Aromas of incense, black olive, peppercorns and dried herbs emanate from the glass and noticeably expand with further aeration. The palate displays ample richness balanced with tensile agility, leading seamlessly into a decadent yet succulent finish with impressive length, focus and structural tenacity. Another highlight of this lineup, this is an essential expression of a historic vineyard site and should reward a decade or more of cellaring. 94 Points
Displaying a more fragrant and floral side of Syrah, the 2021 Syrah Kessler-Haak opens with a lush, perfumed nose of dark fruits and purple flowers, admirable in its restraint and elegance. The palate is sappy, dense and concentrated by Ojai Vineyard standards, leading to a luscious yet taut and vibrant finish that continuously adds layers and nuance. I suspect this will develop more complexity after a few years in bottle and should reward a decade of cellaring beyond that. 93+ Points
2022 ‘Estate Red’ Paseante Noir
The 2022 Estate Red is composed of Paseante Noir, a hybrid grape variety developed by The Ojai Vineyard and UC Davis due to its resistance to Pierce’s disease, which debilitated this site in the 1990s. The nose is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of Syrah and Grenache, exuding a dark-fruited, compote-like richness accented with crushed stones and roasted herbs. The palate is svelte, dense and rich and impressively concentrated with its staining, plush decadence while remaining nimble and poised. This will be fascinating to watch over the next 5–7 years, and I look forward to tasting future iterations of this wholly singular wine. 93 Points
2022 Pinot Noir – Fe Ciega ‘Discípulo’
Composed of the Dijon clone selections planted at this estate site, the 2022 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Discípulo saw a 15-month élevage in 33% new French oak. The nose is driven by red fruit and baking spice aromas, beautifully lifted by accents of purple flowers and citrus rinds. The palate is silky and focused, enriched by a suave, subtle richness. The finish is juicy and succulent, supported by saline acidity and fine-grained tannins that swell with further aeration. 93 Points
2022 Chardonnay Special Bottling – Puerta Del Mar
The 2022 Chardonnay Puerta del Mar Special Bottling was fermented in 33% new French oak and spent 16 months in barrel. The palate is a beautiful combination of pure, floral precision and creamy yet graceful richness. This balance also translates to the palate, where a rich, forward texture is harnessed by focused, tensile agility and a stony, lifted finish. 93 Points
2019 Henry Daniel Syrah
The most smoldering, roasted and concentrated Syrah in the roster, the 2019 Syrah Cuvée Henry Daniel combines the Duvarita, John Sebastiano and Bien Nacido vineyards. It leads with a deep, concentrated and opulent nose of opaque fruits, leather, tobacco leaves and camphor. The palate is mouth-coating and staining, displaying massive richness and decadence on the tight, focused and impressively deft finish. While this is quite enjoyable and attains noticeably better balance than many wines going for this style, fans of more classically structured, savory Syrah will find them throughout the superb vineyard-designate series. 93 Points
The 2022 Barbera Rich Vineyard is a beautiful curiosity in The Ojai Vineyard roster, leading with deep, pure blue-fruited, balsamic and herbal aromas. Lush and succulent on the palate, the finish is impressively layered, long and saturated. It concludes with a juicy and delicious yet sturdy, upright finish. 92 Points
The 2021 Syrah Roll Ranch is the most blue-fruited and berry-forward Syrah in the roster, leading with blueberry, mulberry and boysenberry compote aromas with subtle spice-driven accents. The palate is quite concentrated and voluptuous, tethered by an undercurrent of bracing structural acidity and formidable yet refined tannins. While it is a bit monolithic and inward at this stage, especially compared to the stellar array of Santa Barbara County Syrahs, it is admirably balanced despite its substantial frame. 92 Points
2022 Pinot Noir – Puerta Del Mar
The 2022 Pinot Noir Puerta del Mar was entirely destemmed and spent 11 months in 40% new French oak. This site’s lifted, saline focus is clearly evident on the nose, supported by tobacco leaves and dried floral touches. The palate is plush yet energetic, with a silky precision running through the nuanced and grippy finish. With increased traction, this fills out and takes on a more juicy, filled-in core, suggesting that a year or two of cellaring would be prudent. 92 Points
The 2021 Syrah John Sebastiano was entirely destemmed and spent 15 months in neutral barrique. The most understated Syrah in the lineup, the nose is delicate berry-forward, displaying hints of savory spice character within its otherwise red-fruited profile. The palate shows more assertiveness, with a sapid, lush core that transitions to a balanced, vibrant and lifted finish with just enough fine-grained tannin structure. 92 Points
2022 Syrah – Santa Barbara County
Perennially overperforming, the 2022 Syrah Santa Barbara County combines several notable vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills, aged for 11 months in neutral barrique. The nose is classic and understated, combining meaty, leathery, herbal aromas with a dark-fruited undercurrent and beautiful purity. The palate is plush and borders on full-bodied, with a savory, tense and lifted finish. 92 Points
2023 ‘Estate White’ Ambulo Blanc/Caminante Blanc
The 2023 Estate White is composed of the hybrid grape varieties Ambulo Blanc (60%) and Caminante Blanc (40%), which, to my palate, exude characters similar to Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. The nose is pure and floral, leading to a fresh palate with impressive tension and clarity, concluding with a stony, citrus-tinged character. 91 Points
From a site west of Buellton just outside the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2023 Viognier Brick Barn, leads with a floral yet poised and composed nose, clearly displaying its varietal identity supported by ripe orchard fruit aromas. The palate is full-bodied and decadent but admirably maintains clarity and focus through the fragrant, perfumed finish. 90 Points
