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Ventura County Syrah Roll Ranch Ojai Vineyard 2019 DE
Tasting Notes: On Adam Tolmach’s advice to Suzanne and Richard Roll, the new vineyard they established in the Upper Ojai Valley in 1992 was planted with five acres of Syrah and two acres of Viog... nier. As the warmest vineyard that Adam draws from, Roll Ranch Vineyard historically gives the biggest, most exuberant of all the Syrahs he makes. In 2019, a very cool spring, and onshore coastal weather through veraison delayed the harvest to mid-September, two weeks later than usual. Mostly whole cluster fruit, including 2% Viognier as in Côte Rôtie, was matured for 22 months in a mix of French barrels of which 20% were new. In the glass, the Roll Ranch Vineyard Syrah 2019 has a glass staining, blue-purple color, almost black at the center, with flashes of strawberry red at the edge. The nose develops with lively aromas of sun-warmed blackberries, Friar plums, toasted walnuts, and grated orange zest, along with plenty of boysenberries, crushed violets, lavender, and thyme – all moving in and out of the foreground as the wine evolves in the glass. On the palate, the wine is juicy and plump, at the same time vibrant, refreshing, and elegant, with a core of sweet mineral-infused black and red fruit flavors that echo the nose. And according to Antonio Galloni’s 94-point review, “they infuse the 2019 with striking exoticism.” Read More
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The key to Ojai is that Adam Tolmach knows every row in every consequential vineyard in Santa Barbara County, and that he purchases his grapes by the acre, rather than by the ton. In some vintages, that can cost more than twice as much. But it gives him direct control of the vineyard work, and by extension, of the quality of the grapes he buys. In the winery, Adam prefers to intervene as little as possible, allowing each vineyard to express its unique character with detail and clarity. All of which has conferred a sort of cult status on The Ojai Vineyard (when it’s not flying under the radar because of its strictly limited distribution, or because of Adam’s modest, self-effacing personality).
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California has a rich history of vine growing beginning in 1769 when Padre Junipero Serra is believed to have brought vinifera cuttings with him from Mexico, when he established the Mission San Diego. With the secularization of the Franciscan missions in 1830, commercial winegrowing was established throughout the state, though on a fairly small scale. With a large influx of European immigrants during, and after the "Gold Rush," vines were planted everywhere. In 1862, the French Revue Viticole reported that California was "...capable of entering competition with the wines of Europe." Ventura County is just south of Santa Barbara county and is home to pioneers of high quality, small-farm producers such as Ojai and Sine Qua Non, as well as desirable vineyard locations.
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The Syrah grape is used for the production of varietal wines in many countries around the world, and is also an important component of wine blends in areas, such as the Southern Rhône in France. Syrah vines can be very delicate and prone to wind damage, indicating that the choice of vineyard site is important for growing this variety. Generally, Syrah based wines have dark fruit flavors, along with notes of cacao, smoked meat, and black pepper.
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Grilled lamb chops or roasted rack of lamb with Provençal herbs would be a typical pairing.
