Ojai White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014 | Showstopping Double 95 Pointer

Spinning magic from the rolling slopes of Santa Barbara, the Wizard of Ojai, Adam Tolmach, produced TEN 94-96 point wines from the 2014 vintage alone in Vinous, leading Antonio Galloni to declare: “These are some of the best wines readers will find anywhere for the money.” The showstopper of the bunch was drawn from cool desert sand hillsides near Los Alamos — a spot called “White Hawk. Hence giving 95 points to the Ojai White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014.

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While Galloni is hailing Ojai White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014 as “one of the standouts,” and “an explosive wine of serious intensity. Jeb Dunnuck matched the 95 points, finding it a “stunner,” “rounded,” and “beautifully textured. So producing only 189 cases, the unanimous critical acclaim has already grabbed most of the Ojai White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014 out of Tolmach’s cellar at $50.

Winemaker Adam Tolmach

A maker of world-class California Syrah, alongside Joey Tensley, Steve Beckman, and Sashi Moorman.  Tolmach has driven more than one grower to madness with his rigorous vineyard protocol. But he found his match with White Hawk Vineyard, said to be the most maniacally farmed site on the southern coast. Ojai, Sine Qua Non, and Sea Smoke grab every cluster they can get, despite being what Tolmach calls “some of our most expensive grapes.”

The Ojai White Hawk Vineyard Syrah 2014 from Adam Tolmach offers up aromas of grilled steak, blackberry, cassis, and singed plums. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, rounded but savory with fine-grained.  Yet youthfully chewy tannins that will melt away with a little bottle age, and a generous core of sapid fruit. This is likely to be one of the more approachable Syrah cuvées from The Ojai Vineyard in the 2014 vintage. Drink 2020-2030”- William Kelley Wine Advocate

White Hawk Vineyard

White Hawk vineyard is planted on hillsides of pure sand in Cat Canyon near Los Alamos, California. The Syrah vines struggle to survive since sand can hold neither nutrients nor water well. The production is absurdly low, making them some of our most expensive grapes. While making the wine from this spot is as unique as the vineyard looks. There is an intense but lovely red berry fruit character followed by an intriguing seaweed-iodine spiciness.  Plus this aromatic association perhaps because the soil here is an ancient seabed. In any case, it’s quite unique. The tannins are copious but super fine textured. The climate is just cool enough that we never have to worry about the acidity level of the grapes.  Yet there is always a zesty tang that keeps this wine lively.