Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega is scented of wild blackberries, tar, licorice and forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied and earthy with a firm, fresh frame and long finish. 161 cases were made.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega reveals a sun-kissed bouquet of rhubarb compote, strawberry preserve, red cherries, orange rind and underbrush. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and textural, with an ample core of ripe fruit, gently chewy tannins and a tangy finish. This is an attractive Pinot Noir, though it's not the most harmonious of Tolmach's 2015s, and my suspicion is that it caught just a touch too much sun.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega is an earthy, spicy and forest floor-scented effort that offers medium-bodied richness, supple texture and an herbal, slightly funky edge that won't be for everyone. Nevertheless, it's nicely balanced, has a core of sweet fruit and a good finish.

One of more structured and backward Pinot Noirs in the lineup, the 2013 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega comes from a south-facing site on southern side of the Sta. Rita Hills, just off Santa Rosa Road. It has a Burgundian vibe in its darker cherry fruits, pepper, wild herbs and forest floor bouquet. This gives way to a medium-bodied, structure and tannic Pinot Noir that will need another year or two to really round into form. I suspect it will have a decade or more of overall longevity.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Fe Ciega, which comes from the western, cooler part of the Sta. Rita Hills, is a drop-dead gorgeous effort that has both richness and tension. Showing classic forest floor, wild fennel, herbs and black raspberry and sweet cherry fruit, it hits the palate with medium-bodied weight, integrated acidity and a layered, elegant feel that’s hard to resist. This is very pretty, and it should shine for upward of a decade. This was a mammoth tasting with winemaker Adam Tolmach and assistant Fabien Castel. While I had a number of these shipped to my office in Colorado (where I was able to follow the wines for multiple days), there were still upward of 30 bottles to taste through when I showed up at the estate. Adam continues to pull in his harvest dates, and in a number of cases, has released two cuvees from each vineyard, one harvested early (the Special Bottling) and one harvested later, which is still on the early edge. I have mixed feelings about the new style here, and while these early pick dates give his wines beautiful tension, acidity and energy, it comes at the expense of texture and richness, and the wines have a sappy, resinous, if not green, character that won’t be for everyone. Nevertheless, there are certainly some outstanding wines here. Tel. (805) 649-1674; www.ojaivineyard.com