2021 Harvest at Ojai Mountain | Vintage Notes & Winemaking

The Growing Season

With just 6.52 inches of rainfall recorded from October 2020 through September 2021, 2021 ranked among the driest years in Ojai since 1906. Precipitation was not only scarce but poorly distributed, concentrated in brief windows during December, January, and March, with little meaningful moisture before or after. By the time spring arrived, the soils were already lean.

What followed was essentially a dry season from May through harvest — but not a punishing one. No heat spikes, no compression of the ripening curve, no forced decisions. Cool, steady temperatures and persistent marine influence from the Pacific allowed the vines to move through the season slowly and on their own terms. The limited rainfall naturally curtailed canopy growth, resulting in modest, well-balanced canopies that required minimal intervention. Fruit exposure was excellent without the stress-induced shutdown that can accompany drought at lower elevations.

At 2,800 feet, with ancient Monterey shale beneath the vines and the Pacific just 10 miles away, the mountain's natural cooling system made 2021 work in ways a warmer site could not.

Harvest & Yield

Harvest Window: August 26 – September 10

Total Yield: 8.75 tons across 4.34 acres

Average: 2.0 tons per acre

Harvest stretched from late August into early September — August 26 through September 10 for the reds, August 26 for the whites. Clean clusters, precise flavors, and a cool-toned profile throughout. Flowering had been smooth, yields naturally modest. The vines arrived at harvest without drama.

Total production across 4.34 planted acres reached 8.75 tons, averaging 2.0 tons per acre. The Rhône whites — Picpoul and Grenache Blanc — showed particularly strong adaptation to the dry conditions. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre settled into balanced, moderate yields that suited their vine age and the mountain's character.

Young Vine Performance

In 2021, our vines were just three years into their productive life. Young vines in drought years can struggle — drawing on shallow reserves, ripening unevenly. Ours didn't. They self-regulated with composure, producing fruit with clarity and structure that belied their age.

Vinous captured it best: "a potent, muscular wine with more power than it should have for a wine from three-year-old vines." That kind of performance, in that kind of year, told us something important about this site.

The Wines

The 2021 vintage is not a loud one. What it offers is freshness without sharpness, structure without heaviness, and a proportion that comes from steady conditions rather than correction.

Production

2021 Estate White — 132 cases | 2021 Estate Red — 283 cases | 2021 Estate Syrah — 85 cases

Total: 500 cases

2021 Estate White

49% Grenache Blanc, 44% Picpoul, 7% Roussanne | 132 cases produced

Harvested August 26. 12.8% alcohol. Bright and citrus-driven, with key lime, stone fruit, marzipan, and a long mineral finish.

Vinous 93 points: "a discernible site signature already in place — I can't wait to see what this site will do as the vines age." Wine Enthusiast 91 points.

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2021 Estate Red

30% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Mourvèdre, 7% Cabernet Franc | 283 cases produced

Harvested August 26-September 10. 14% alcohol. Dark berries, saddle leather, espresso, and mocha spice, with firm tannins and bright acidity.

Vinous 93 points: "intense, deeply concentrated flavors come across with precision and no excess weight — there's so much character here." Wine Enthusiast 93 points. Decanter 92 points.

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2021 Estate Syrah

100% Estrella Clone | 85 cases produced

Harvested September 1. 14.3% alcohol. Aged 20 months in 100% neutral French oak. Brooding and opulent, with smoked meat, blackberry, ground pepper, lavender, garrigue, iron, and sea spray.

Vinous 95 points. Jeb Dunnuck 93 points: "one classy Syrah that will evolve gracefully for 10-15 years." Wine Enthusiast 92 points. Decanter 92 points.

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