Tried these Ojais over the last few days:
1. OjaiVnyd Syrah RollRanchVnyd/Calif (15.0%) 2003: Very dark/near black color w/ some bricking; very strong toasty/smokey/OjaiFr.oak beautiful intense blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe some peppery rather Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats very complex nose; bit soft very strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy/ripe/boysenberry rather peppery strong toasty/smokey/Ojai oak quite Rhonish/roasted slightly tired/drying out/metallic quite complex flavor w/ light smooth bit drying tannins; very long/lingering very Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats strong toasty/smokey/Ojai oak very strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe some roasted/Rhonish bit drying finish w/ light tannins; a very classic fully mature Ojai Syrah that starting its downhill decline but a classic mature Ojai Syrah still.
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2. OjaiVnyd Syrah ThompsonVnyd/SantaBarbaraCnty (14.5%) 2002: Very dark/near black color w/ some bricking; very intense blackberry/ripe/boysenberry/Syrah/very spicy strong toasty/Fr.oak/smokey classic Thompson peppery bit less roasted/Rhonish quite complex nose; intense blackberry/Syrah/very spicy/ripe/boysenberry lighter smokey/toasty/charred/Ojai oak bit roasted/Rhonish slightly drying rather complex flavor w/ light smooth bit drying tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe/very spicy/Syrah strong toasty/charred/Ojai oak classic Thompson/peppery bit drying rather complex finish w/ light ripe tannins; starting to show a bit of age but a lovely mature/classic Thompson Syrah.
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3. OjaiVnyd Calif Syrah (13.5%) Oakview 1999: Med.dark some browning color; rather cedary/pencilly/oldRed some toasty/oak slight blackberry/Syrah rather tired nose; lightly tart rather tired/cedary/pencilly/oldRed slight blackberry/Syrah flavor w/ light tired/astringent tannins; pretty much a tired/dried out/dead Syrah; move along folks, nothing to see here. $23.00
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4. OjaiVnyd Syrah SantaBarbaraCnty (14%) 2000: Med.dark color w/ some browning; some cedary/pencilly/oldRed stronger blackberry/Syrah/licorice/bit peppery/ripe/spicy some toasty/oak some complex nose; lightly tart rather cedary/pencilly/oldRed bit tired light blackberry/Syrah/spicy/peppery rather toasty/oak flavor w/ light astringent tannins; long bit tired/dried out some blackberry/Syrah/spicy/peppery rather smokey/toasty/oak finish w/ light drying/astringent tannins; much more life to it & a bit of Syrah fruit remaining but pretty much on its last legs.
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5. OjaiVnyd Vin du Soleil Rouge SantaBarbaraCnty (14%; 56% Mourv/25% Grenache/19% Syrah) 2002: Med.color w/ some bricking; some plummy/Mourv/blackberry light toasty/oak slightly tired/oldRed nose; rather tart/tangy/metallic slight Mourv/plummy somewhat tired/oldRed light toasty/oak flavor w/ light bit tired/astringent tannins; long rather tangy/metallic slight plummy/Mourv/blackberry rather tired/dried out finish w/ light drying tannins; still a bit of fruit hanging in there but pretty tired/metallic & on its last legs on the palate.
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6. OjaiVnyd OjaiRed Calif TW (14.0%; Syrah + PinotNoir + ?) NV (ca.2002): Dark color w/ some bricking; rather cedary/pencilly/oldRed slight blackberry/Syrah little fruit bit tired nose; soft quite tangy/metallic slight blackberry/Syrah somewhat tired/cedary/pencilly/oldRed little fruit flavor w/ light astringent tannins; med.long quite tangy/metallic tired/oldRed finish; pretty decrepit & on its last legs; a tired old Syrah.
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7. OjaiVnyd PinotNoir BienNacidoVnyd/SantaBarbaraCnty (14.0%) 2002: Med.dark color w/ some bricking; fairly strong black cherry/PN/classic BN PN light toasty/pencilly/oak slight earthy/dusty somewhat complex nose; some cherry/black cherry/PN light toasty/Fr.oak/pencilly bit earthy/smokey some complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering some toasty/pencilly/Fr.oak fairly classic BN PN/black cherry rather complex finish w/ light gentle tannins;still has plenty of classic BN black cherry fruit & fully mature & no signs of going round the bend yet; quite a lovely BN PN but not going to get any better & will just quietly fade into the sunset.
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8. OjaiVnyd Syrah StolpmanVnyd/SBC (14%) 2000: Very dark color w/ some bricking; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/spicy/bit peppery strong smokey/charred/Ojai oak bit drying quite complex classic mature Ojai Syrah nose; lightly tart strong blackberry/ripe/boysenberry/spicy/bit peppery strong toasty/charred/Ojai oak fairly complex bit drying flavor w/ light bit tangy/drying tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe/Syrah strong toasty/charred/oak complex finish w/ light gentle tannins; starting to dry out slightly but a beautiful example of a fully-mature Ojai Syrah that's probably headed downhill; probably better 4-6 yrs ago, but still plenty of fruit.
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9. OjaiVnyd Syrah RollRanchVnyd/Calif (14.5%) 2000: Dark color w/ some browning; very strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/licorice rather toasty/smokey/Ojai oak slight Rhonish/roasted quite complex beautiful nose; somewhat tart really rich/lush/ripe strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/very spicy rather toasty/Ojai oak/smokey slightly tired fairly complex flavor w/ light smooth/drying tannins; very long/lingering quite spicy/blackberry/Syrah/ripe/boysenberry some toasty/charred/oak/smokey fairly rich/lush bit Rhonish fairly complex finish w/ light smooth tannins; still in great shape w/ plenty of Syrah fruit & tannins fully resolved w/ only slight signs of age but unlikely to get any better.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. As I tasted thru these fairly old Ojais, the color was very interesting. When I'd pour the first glass, I note that there was often a little bricking. I would then leave the btls, with corks inserted, for several days. When I'd then pour the remains down the drain, they were almost always much murky/brown in color. The O2 worked fast on the old of wines.
I expected most of the wines to be pretty much on teir last legs. But all the vnyd-designate Syrahs were in amazing shape, showing some signs of their age, but not yet ready to go round the bend & will offer up several more yrs of pleasure.
Tom
