The 2010 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega comes from the southern part of the Santa Rita Hills and offers, bright, fresh aromas and flavors of juicy berry, incense, flowers and forest floor to go with a rich, mouth-filling and textured profile on the palate. Despite that solid fruit, I love the underlying structure and depth. Give it a year or three in the cellar and enjoy through 2022 or so. Drink 2015-2022.
This was one thrilling lineup of wines by Adam Tolmach and assistant winemaker Fabien Castel and this is always one of my favorite visits during my trip through the region. After making wine for close to 30 years, Adam continues to push for improvement and is subtly tweaking his wines to get more freshness, focuses and elegance out of them. Minimal new oak, low SO2 and few rackings are all the norm here, and these 2009s, 2010s and 2011s are some of the strongest wines I’ve tasted from this estate. They’re all highly recommended.
Tel. (805) 798-3947; www.ojaivineyard.com