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The new Ojai Mountain Winerya in Central California has released its first two wines, an Estate Red and an Estate White, and winemaker Erich Bradley along with Viticulturists Phil Coturri and Martin Ramirez are, well, quite high on them.
Thus is due on part to the winery’s location; it is atop Sulphur Mountain more than a half-mile (2,800 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest-altitude vineyards in California.
“That elevation is so rare in California,” Bradley said. “As soon I heard 2,800 feet, I jumped at the chance to be a part of this project.”
A true coastal site, Ojai Mountain is located just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and sits above the daily maritime fog line, allowing the vines to bask in sunlight all day while benefiting from cool mountain air overnight.
“Phil, Martin and I have this in common: an obsession with high-elevation sites. You can hit notes that you can’t hit in other places,” Bradley said. “Our skin-to-juice ratios up here are very different. And the wines have the capacity to be more profound. It’s safe to say I’ve never been more excited about the intensity and the concentration this site produces.”
Guided by Bradley – best known for creating brands such as Repris, Texture, Pangloss, and Sojourn – the Ojai team includes Coturri of Enterprise Vineyards and a biodynamic pioneer in Sonoma County; Ramirez, who has more than three decades of experience cultivating vineyards in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties; as well famed pruning expert Jacopo Miolo from Italy’s esteemed Simonit & Sirch.
Using biodynamic principles, the vineyard was planted in 2018 on virgin land once covered in dense chaparral. The rocky terrain has very little soil, which over centuries has eroded to the valley floor. As such Ramirez and Coturri augment the vine rows through composting, organic cover crops and using natural fertilizer collected from a nearby family-run chicken farm.
“Sustainably is our ethos. We know we’re merely temporary stewards of this land,” says Ramirez. “If we do our jobs, Ojai Mountain vineyard will be here for generations to come.”
Focusing predominantly on Rhône varietals, Ojai Mountain wines stand as pure expressions of its extreme terroir, and boast electric acidity, an Alsatian-esque minerality, and a pleasing balance of Old World restraint and New World vibrancy.
“This site is so extreme, so unique – there’s nothing else within sight of this vineyard. There never has been,” say Bradley. “We’re excited to continue to coax the personality of this vineyard. We really feel like explorers, and that’s the mentality of our approach.”
The next release will be in Spring 2024 and feature the premiere of the Ojai Mountain Estate Syrah, which is set to become the winery’s signature red wine. For information on acquiring wines, please visit OjaiMountainEstate.com.
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