2003 Ojai Syrah Stolpman Vineyard

There was not much difference between the 2004 and 2003 Syrah Stolpman Vineyard. The 2003 may be more supple and fleshy. This cuvee reveals considerable power and body along with dense purple colors and rich constitutions. The 2004 is slightly more elegant whereas the 2003 is more muscular, fatter, and more saturated in color. It will easily last a decade or more. Adam Tolmach kindly conducted a mini-vertical, going back to 1995, of his Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah, and it was good to see how well they all performed. My favorites included the 1996 (93 points), 1998 (91 points), 2000 (93 points), and 2002 (93 points). The only wine that did not show as well as I would have hoped was the 1997 (88 points), which was much lighter and on a faster evolutionary track. Tel. (805) 649-1674