Wine: Ojai: Syrah Thompson

California

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Ojai Vineyard

The Ojai Vineyard, owned by Adam & Helen Tolmach, works closely with a dozen different vineyards on the Central Coast of California and produces wines from syrah, grenache, mourvedre, pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and viognier. About 6000 cases are produced each year, divided between 15 bottlings, most of which are vineyard designated wines.

The key to producing special wine is in the care taken growing the grapes. There is an inverse relationship between quantity and quality when it comes to grapes, so rather than purchasing ours by the ton, we have long term agreements with our growers to buy the fruit by the acre. This lets us culture the vines and thin the crop to our strict specifications, yet allows the grower to receive a fair return.

In the winery we like to watch the development of the wine carefully, yet prefer to do as little as possible. Experience has shown us that the least amount of moving, pumping, fining and filtering is always best. The ultimate objective is to show off the distinctive character of a vineyard site.

We publish two newsletters a year (spring and fall), in which we offer our wines in advance of delivery at discounted prices to our mailing list customers. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list please sign up here or fax us your mailing address information. If you are interested in ordering wines that are currently available from The Ojai Vineyard please see our order form.

The Ojai Vineyard is not open for tours or tasting.

My criticism of Thompson syrah is that it tends to be a bit monolithic. To remedy this, since 2003, we have been adding increasing amounts of grenache and mourvedre, and we love the results. This 2007 has a beautiful aroma, a lively play of bright stone fruits and herbs, and reminds me of a modern style Châteaunuef du Pape-not a bad thing at all! Generally, these Thompson syrahs have been impossible to drink when young, but this one is different. It doesn’t give up one ounce of intensity, but it’s just a lot less awkward-and really downright charming. I see a drinking window from now through 2025.

• Alberta