The 2006 Syrah Presidio is super-impressive. An exciting array of dark fruit, leather, spices and licorice emerges from the glass in this vibrant, powerful wine. The Presidio possesses gorgeous depth and complexity, with hints of tobacco, leather, licorice and cedar that add further nuance on the muscular finish. Presidio is a biodynamically farmed vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. I admit I have mixed feelings about the wines I tasted at Ojai with proprietor Adam Tolmach and winemaker Fabien Castel. On the positive side, the wines are classy, elegant and also very fairly priced considering the quality of what is in the bottle. At the same time, it is obvious yields aren’t particularly low, which is somewhat mystifying considering Tolmach works with first-rate sites and is clearly getting pristine fruit. Don’t get me wrong, these are excellent wines?but they could be truly great, and maybe beyond great. The cellars are kept cold year-round, while the approach to winemaking remains quite minimalist. All of the whites are fermented in barrel, with full malolactic fermentation and very low levels of new oak. The Pinots are aged on their lees and are racked only before bottling. The Pinots see 25-35% new oak, while the Syrahs see even less. In recent years Tolmach has begun experimenting with whole clusters for both his Pinots and Syrahs. Tel. (805) 649-1674; www.ojaivineyard.com

An interesting new bottling from Ojai. Inky black and utterly dry, it was grown in a very cool site west of the Santa Rita Hills boundary. The wine is high in both tannins and acids, giving it great structure, while sweet, smoky oak adds softening notes to the pure blackberry and black currant fruit flavors. Compelling. Drink now–2014.——S.H.(11/1/2009)—— 93