ROLL RANCH VINEYARD - California. Roll Ranch is planted with five
acres of syrah and two acres of viognier. From the beginning in
1995 we’ve blended a small portion of viognier (2%) with the syrah,
as is done in the northern Rhone appellation of Cote Rotie. In this
case the exotic aromatics of viognier lift the otherwise heavy
syrah scents and give the wine a whole new dynamic spin. I have a
profound fondness for cooler climate syrahs, but this one is always
the exception to my preference—it is so delicious. In 2004 the
growing conditions were perfect at Roll Ranch, and vineyard manager
Martin Ramirez achieved a new level of outstanding quality. This
allowed us to make one of the finest wines we have made from this
vineyard. There is the usual voluptuousness that Roll displays, but
in the 2004 there are lovely tannins that have a wonderful texture
and give the wine a great sense of balance. It is one of those
wines that is easy to enjoy now, yet has everything needed for
aging gracefully for many years.
Press
Reviews:
Robert
Parker’s Wine Advocate
Wine
Advocate #172 Aug 2007
“The
stunningly full-bodied, rich, opulent, ripe 2004 Syrah Roll Ranch
offers lovely aromas of melted licorice, creme de cassis,
blackberries, violets, and underbrush. It is deep, full-bodied,
velvety-textured, and as always, the most forward and evolved of
the Ojai Syrahs. Enjoy it over the next decade or more.
A recent vertical tasting of all the Thompson Syrahs offered some
wonderful surprises. The sensational 2003 (rated 93) was a
powerful, opulent, nearly over the top Syrah (the type of wine
Tolmach supposedly despises). It’s a great wine in the making. The
2002 (rated 89?) seemed somewhat monolithic and closed, but the
2001 (rated 95) was fabulous, with great intensity, and notes of
charcoal, tapenade, blackberries, and creosote. The 2000 Thompson
Special Bottling (rated 94+) behaved like a spicy, leather and
black fruit-dominated Pauillac, with huge structure, fabulous
concentration, and a long finish. The 1999 (rated 93) offered a
beautiful nose of flowers, black fruits, espresso beans, and
licorice. Rich, broad, savory, and long, it was stunning. The 1998
(rated 91) came across like a top-notch French Hermitage. Herbal
with black olive notes intermixed with black cherries and cassis,
it could easily be mistaken for a top vintage of Jaboulet’s
Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Thalabert. The 1997 Syrah Henry David
(named after Adam’s son) was rated 94. At ten years of age, it is a
fabulous wine exhibiting notes of licorice, creosote, plum sauce,
blackberries, and smoke. This meaty, chewy, full-bodied, fleshy
Syrah coats the palate, stains the teeth, and is still a youngster
in terms of development. It should drink well for another 10-15
years or more.” ( 94
Points )
Wine
Advocate #166 Aug 2006
“From
Ventura County, I always like the suppleness, accessibility, and
velvety tannins of the Roll Ranch Syrah. The inky/purple-colored
2004 possesses plenty of tannin, but it is such an opulent, fleshy
wine that the tannin is well-concealed.
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.” ( 90-92 Points )
Wine
Spectator
“Supple-textured,
smooth and harmonious, with zesty wild berry and blackberry fruit
that's focused and lively, ending with ripe, integrated tannins. -
JL ( 90 Points
)
Stephen
Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
“Deep
ruby. Lush boysenberry and blueberry on the nose, with subtle
florality adding complexity. Stains the palate with ripe dark berry
liqueur flavors but possesses impressive chewy texture, clarity and
precision, and finishes with outstanding clarity and sweetness.
It's rare to find this much fruit power with such balance. Tolmach
noted that he seeks to make wines "that are balanced and complex,
and that don't need to beat you up to make their point." ( 92
Points )
