My stash of Ojais arrived last week, so cracked:
1. TheOjaiVnyd SBC Syrah (14.5%; http://www.OjaiVineyard.com) 2006: Very dark color; lovely spicy/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry light toasty/pungent/oak perfumed slight peppery nose; soft very lush/rich/blackberry/Syrah/spicy slight pungent/oak light peppery flavor; med.long lush/blackberry/Syrah/spicy/peppery light/toasty/pungent/oak finish w/ light tannins; probably will put on weight over the next yr or two; a delicious 4-square Syrah and a screaming deal at the pre-release price. $23.00
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Only criticism of this wine would be a bit lacking in structure and a bit short on the finish, but those are very minor quibbles. It has a lushness to it that reminds me of a junior RollRanch Syrah. It should be fairly available in the low-mid $20's and is one screaming deal at that price. A classic Ojai Syrah.
I was asked how it compares to the Jaffurs '07 SBC Syrah. I think I prefer the Ojai to the Jaffurs at this point in time. The Jaffurs has huge/huge ripe blackberry fruit, but is somewhat less structured than the Ojai. The Ojai has a bit more other things going on in it. It'll be interesting to revisit these in a yr and see where they are. They're both one of the best Calif Syrah values around.
Tom