2020 Harvest Notes: The First Test of Ojai Mountain
Ojai Mountain’s inaugural 2020 harvest marked the first true test of our high-elevation estate vineyard. From young vines planted just two years earlier, we harvested 6.5 tons across 4.34 acres, using the vintage not just to produce wine, but to understand how each block, variety, exposure, and soil profile would express itself at 2,800 feet.
Ojai Mountain's inaugural 2020 harvest produced 6.5 tons from 4.34 acres, at a deliberately low average of 1.5 tons per acre. Grenache Blanc and Picpoul were the most generous yielders; Syrah remained notably restrained. The resulting wines — a 74-case Estate White and a 264-case Estate Red — established the site's identity from the very first vintage, earning 92 points from Vinous and a Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selection at 93 points.
2020 by the numbers
| Harvest window | August 18 – early September |
|---|---|
| Vineyard size | 4.34 acres |
| Total crop | 6.5 tons |
| Estate White production | 74 cases |
| Estate Red production | 264 cases |
The Growing Season
The year began dry and warm, with minimal winter rainfall leaving limited soil moisture as spring arrived. Our young vines responded with naturally restrained vigor, producing small, well-spaced clusters that required little intervention. Summer brought consistent warmth punctuated by brief heat events, yet our elevation and the evening influence of Pacific air currents preserved acidity and moderated ripening. Fruit reached maturity at modest sugar levels with intact acids and early signs of phenolic balance—a promising expression for first-year vines.
Harvest & Yield
Harvest began with whites on August 18th and concluded with reds in early September. Total production reached just over 6.5 tons across 4.34 planted acres, averaging roughly 1.5 tons per acre—meaningfully low for any vineyard, and entirely consistent with our site-focused approach rather than a yield-driven one. Individual blocks ranged from approximately 1.2 to just over 3 tons per acre, with Grenache Blanc and Picpoul proving the most generous, while Syrah remained notably restrained. Merlot and Petit Verdot were not harvested, underscoring our commitment to observation over force. Fruit was brought in only where it met our quality thresholds.
Winemaking Approach
Given the vineyard's youth, we harvested and fermented each block and variety separately. This meticulous approach allowed us to evaluate every parcel individually, revealing how different exposures and soils expressed themselves in this first commercial vintage. Early fermentations surpassed expectations: chemistry was clean and well-aligned, pH and acidity balanced, and the wines showed structure without excess weight.
The Wines
Despite the experimental nature of the vintage, clarity emerged early. Tannins were fine-grained, fruit expression precise, and the overall profile reflected the site itself rather than the limitations often associated with young vines. The 2020 vintage established a strong foundation for Ojai Mountain and confirmed what we had hoped: that this vineyard was capable of producing wines worthy of release from its very first harvest.
2020 Estate White
Vinous 92 points: "one heck of a debut for the very first crop off this site. Notes of slate, honey, white flowers, split pine, and white smoke unfurl in a precise, cleanly delineated wine with structure and grip to burn."
2020 Estate Red
Wine Enthusiast 93 points (Top 100 Cellar Selection):
Frequently Asked Questions
2020 was our inaugural vintage, harvested from vines planted just two years earlier, in 2018. We treated the year as a foundational learning season rather than a commercial launch — evaluating each block and variety separately to understand how the site's exposures and soils expressed themselves.
We brought in just over 6.5 tons across 4.34 planted acres, averaging roughly 1.5 tons per acre — deliberately low, and consistent with a site-focused approach rather than a yield-driven one. Individual blocks ranged from about 1.2 to just over 3 tons per acre.
Harvest began with white varieties on August 18th and concluded with reds in early September.
Grenache Blanc and Picpoul were the most generous yielders. Syrah was notably restrained, consistent with the vine stress this high-elevation site produces.
Two wines: the 2020 Estate White (75% Grenache Blanc, 25% Picpoul, 74 cases) and the 2020 Estate Red (a Rhône-leaning blend, 264 cases). Vinous scored the Estate White 92 points, calling it "one heck of a debut." Wine Enthusiast named the Estate Red a Top 100 Cellar Selection at 93 points, describing it as "one of the more interesting estates to come to California in years."
Both inaugural 2020 wines remain available in limited quantities while supplies last.
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