2022 Ojai - Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills Kessler-Haak Vineyard (750ml)

Adam Tolmach founded The Ojai Vineyard in 1983 after studying viticulture and enology at UC Davis and co-founding the acclaimed Au Bon Climat winery with Jim Clendenen. Since striking out on his own, Tolmach has built a reputation for uncompromising, small-batch wines that let individual Central Coast vineyard sites speak clearly, favoring earlier picking and a lighter hand with new oak to preserve balance and aromatic lift over sheer ripeness.

Kessler-Haak Vineyard sits in the northwest corner of the Sta. Rita Hills, planted in 2005 on mixed sandy loam soils just next to the well-known Clos Pepe vineyard. The site's cool conditions and high acidity make it a favorite for wines built around structure and tension. This 2022 bottling was fermented with a notable portion of whole clusters, then aged for fifteen months in French oak, with a majority of new barrels, an approach chosen to build layered spice and grip while keeping the wine lifted rather than heavy.

The nose shows nuanced dark fruit alongside exotic spice and dried tobacco. On the palate, the wine is silky and energetic yet deep, layered, and long, finishing with fine, grippy tannins and a distinct streak of saline minerality. Its structure and complexity make it a fitting match for duck breast, mushroom risotto, or other earthy, savory dishes.