Tasting Note: 2000 Ojai Syrah Melville Vineyard

I opened this last weekend for dinner at Syrah Bistro in Santa Rosa (an excellent place, BTW) after a number of winery visits. I really enjoyed it. Ojai does not get the respect that they deserve for making very fine wines.

2000 Ojai Syrah Melville Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills (3/29/2008)

Color was a dark and opaque deep red-black with little or no lightening at the rim. Nose was very expressive showing herbs of provence, reserved elegant fruit, and cold-climate pepper. The palate showed completely dry with no California pruniness or overripeness at all. There were tastes of rich dark berries, spices, minerals and marked pepperiness. The wine showed great balancing acidity, and initially there were prominent tannins on the finish. After 20 minutes or so, the tannins began to integrate and the wine really opened up. It was still obviously Californian, but closer to a Northern Rhone profile than any other California syrah I've ever tasted, save for Edmunds St. John. No obvious oak, and certainly no excessive alcohol. Although delicious now, this has great structure and is still young with years ahead of it. Most excellent. (92 pts.)