2004 Ojai Roll Ranch Syrah

Ojai Vineyards was founded in 1983 in Ventura County, on California’s Central Coast. It was established and is still operated by Adam and Helen Tolmach. Adam Tolmach was also one of the founders of Au Bon Climat, another Central Coast winery, which he left to focus on Ojai Vineyards. The estate produces about 6,000 cases of wine a year. It makes 15 different wines, primarily Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Most are vineyard-designated wines made of grapes from long-term suppliers. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “only a handful of wineries have matched (Adam Tolmach’s) brilliant performance record from vineyards spread out through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Just about any Ojai wine is well worth checking out…”

Central Coast AVA is a huge wine producing area that extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco in the north. With more than 100,000 vineyard acres, it includes parts of six counties near the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 20 smaller AVAs lie within the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast earned appellation status in 1985. Included in the appellation are parts of the counties of Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Nearly every grape varietal grown in California is grown somewhere in the Central Coast AVA, though Chardonnay accounts for nearly 50% of the entire wine grape crop.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.