Took this magnum to share at the Calif Rhones dinner at Pig+Fig last night:
OjaiVnyd Syrah PresidioVnyd/SantaBarbaraCnty (14.5%) 2005: Very dark/black color w/ no bricking; very intense c-c/black pepper/Rhonish/black olive tapenade intense blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe some smokey/toasty/oak quite complex nose; rather tart/tangy intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/spicy strong c-c/Rhonish/black pepper/some w-c bit roasted/beefy strong toasty/pencilly/oak complex beautiful flavor w/ ample ripe/smooth tannins; very long/lingering quite tart intense blackberry/Syrah/spicy/boysenberry/ripe classic c-c/black olive tapenade/black pepper rather toasty/smokey/oak very complex finish w/ ample ripe tannins; a beautiful/classic example of c-c Syrah and one of the best Ojai Syrahs I can recall; spectacular Syrah.
A wee BloodyPulpit:
PresidioVnyd was planted in 2001 by DougBraun. It is located up on the benchland where Hwy 246 intersects PresidioRd. It is located just outside the western bndry of the StaRitaHills AVA, so can only be classified as SBCnty. It is certified BioDynamic, planted mostly to PinotNoir, plus a bit of Chard and tiny amount of Syrah. It was sold to ZacaMesa CEO BrookWilliams and is now known as the DuvaritaVnyd. Brook later on bought the old Sawyer-Lindquist vnyd, now named Slide Hill Vnyd, up in the EdnaVlly. The Wine Write: Meet Vineyard Owner Brook Williams
This Ojai was, I believe, Adam’s first use of Presidio grapes and only put up in magnums. It still shows plenty of youth and I see no reason it won’t go out another 10-15 yrs. Since I don’t have many friends & seldom open any mags, the P+F dinner (which was terrific) was a golden opportunity to terminate this mag.
Tom
Any idea what the ABV was on this? This was made before he started dialing back - and I know he continues to get fruit from that vineyard along with a bunch of others in the area.
By the way, in the recent Santa Barbara Vintner’s Foundation gala, I bid on and won a lot - well, I won 2 seats - to a dinner at Jim Clendenon’s Rancho La Cuna property in Los Alamos with Jim and Frank Ostini from Hitching Post doing the cooking, and these winemakers will be present, pouring their wines and telling stories:
Jim from ABC
Frank and Gray Hartley from Hitching Post Wines
Bob Lindquist, formerly of Qupe and now with Lindquist Family Wines
Adam Tolmach
I still have a Henry Daniel sitting somewhere in my cellar. The original Henry Daniel from '97. I have no idea where. I bought two. The first one was good, but not as good as I had hoped. I am guessing I opened it somewhere in the vicinity of 2008.
Yes, I too have had several this winter. All held up magnificently, but I wasn’t that keen on the 2002 Clos Pepe, seems more of a Rhone blend than a PN in style.
