2000 Ojai Syrah Melville Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 90.4 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View blanquito's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/5/2014 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points

  Ripe and spicy, yet classic syrah nose of burnt rubber, bacon fat, black pepper, thyme, and lavender. Good palate with zip, fruit, some booze. I don't think this would be confused for a Northern Rhone in a blind line-up with its deep and lush fruit, but this is much better balanced than many Cali syrahs from the same era. This really grows as it gets some air time. I'm really digging this, to my surprise (I haven't liked the 2000 Ojai Thompson the times I've tried it). Drink now. 91-92

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View europat55's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points

  Euro-Themed Lunch - In Pursuit of Balance with US Domestic Wines (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Smooth, fruity nose. Some pepper. Spicy palate. Tasted blilnd and clearly felt like a good California Syrah.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View davergny's profile
  • Report Issue

  9/7/2011 - davergny wrote: 85 Points

  Cork is almost in perfect shape. Inky, dark crimson color. Subtle aromas of dried cranberries, sweet black cherry, & incense. On the palate, flavors are subtle too, some black cherry, black olive & tar. The wine is big with some underlying structure, decent length, but not very giving and kind of boring--no zest. Tannins are completely integrated and there isn't much of a finish. Maybe this is past it's prime and on the downside. It's OK, just not exiting or profound. I've had better Ojai syrah.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PaulH's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/29/2008 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points

  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.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View drwine2001's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/7/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:

  Dark, saturated, and very youthful looking. Initially, a strong smell of blackberry/boysenberry mixed with a touch of cigar box. Round, long flavors with rich dark berry fruit and prominent core of ripe tannins. As it sat open, the fruit elements in the nose receded and it took on a northern Rhone profile, developing more secondary bouquet as well. Impressive material and balance without any discernible oak influence or excessive alcohol. I'd be interested in tasting this again 3-5 years down the road since it appears to have the structure to improve.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 8 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.