The Ojai Vineyard, Solomon Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley

The Ojai Vineyard · California › Santa Maria Valley › United States of America

Red · Pinot Noir

Critics

90 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

90.4

Avg Score

Highest

Great spot. It has smokey sour cherry and pomegranate notes. A joy to drink. Nice QPR at $31.

2015 vintage

Smoke, cherry, cranberry, cedar. Upfront fruit with a spice driven finish. Excellent. Great QPR at $30.

2015 vintage

Really enjoyed this. Strong pinot intensity in a lightweight, elegant package. Loads of crushed sour cherry, woodsmoke, and cinnamon spice and good purity and acidity.

2015 vintage

On the second day pretty rasinated. Last night, very structural with lots of tannin and acidity. Many tasters felt the fruit was not in balance with the structural elements nor would it ever be. I demurred, with the thought that the wine will evolve longer.

2005 vintage

This was tasty as a fruit-forward CA pinot, but also kind of chunky and one-dimensional; very different from 5/4/08, when I guessed this needed a couple of years to come together. Not sure if I waited too long, if this is a dumb phase, or if it was just a bad bottle. Hope my remaining bottles are better; try again in 6-12 months.

2005 vintage

Better than 20 months ago. Deep dark red. Smokey spicey black cherries and black plums. Bold and big, finishing long and smooth. Plenty left in the tank so no hurry to drink these.

2005 vintage

Decanted 1 hour.

2005 vintage

Ojai Vineyard Tasting Dinner (Chez Christianne, San Francisco, CA) : Very dark cherry red color with clear meniscus; black cherry, berry and black fruit nose; deep, tart black cherry, black fruit, plum palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish

2005 vintage

Medium ruby color. Nose initially was plums, moss, and alcohol, not particularly appealing. Over time (say 1 hr) the alcohol retreated as did the wet moss letting the plums and spice come foward. A bit tart on the finish which adds woody component to the mix. Sound structure suggests long life.

2005 vintage

Very dark, deep, deep ruby color (looks like a Rhone wine). Nose is very tight and remained that way. Not sure if this is just young and tight and needs more time or if just a blockbuster of a pinot noir. A very full, mouth coating wine that lots of fruit (not spice, no earth). Good finish. I have 2 more bottles and I am not sure if to hold or open. Certainly will not hold them for 5+ years.

2005 vintage

Deep ruby/purple color with a restrained berry nose. A bit disjointed at first taste, but came together after about 30 minutes of air. Cherry and blackberry flavors dominate, with a hint of earthiness, and velvety tannins. Needs another year or so in the bottle to sort itself out, but at that point expect an excellent CA pinot.

2005 vintage

Dark ruby red color. Good structure; cherry and blackberry overtones. --MD

2005 vintage

This hedonistic, new world Pinot hits all the right notes. Rich, full bodied, with a velvety texture, great length and an explosive nose. I don't see a reason to wait on this one...

2005 vintage

The slightly muted (chalky, dirty) nose is the least impressive part of this wine, but the mouth is very flavorful (cherries and other red and black berries, a bit of cola) and balanced, with no hard edges, and the length, while slightly drying, is earthy and (primary) fruity, with a very nice, quality laden follow thru. This bottle seems fairly typical for Ojai pinots, and is a larger-scaled pinot, but not huge or heavy or overripe - it's not deft …

2005 vintage

Red Carpet Wine Tasting : No score - Too much chardonnay left in my glass

2005 vintage