2020 Estate Red

Name: 2020 Estate Red
Brand: Ojai Mountain
Price: 85.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Dark-fruited|Savory|Structured

Our inaugural vintage — a modern Bordeaux-Rhône blend with notes of cassis, blackberries, and tart cherries, lifted by an iron-edged freshness. Structured, flavorful, and built to age. You can lay this one down for years. Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selection.

Tasting Notes Pdf.

About This Release

VARIETALS

30% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Mourvèdre, 8% Cabernet Franc

CHEMISTRY

Alcohol: 13.6% | pH: 3.45 | TA: 6.4

WINE CHARACTERISTICS

Body

Medium-Full

Sweetness

Dry

Acidity

Bright Acidity

Tannin

Firm Tannins

Fruitiness

Balanced Fruit

WINEMAKER'S NOTE

Born from the first harvest at 2,800 feet — where ancient Monterey shale, ocean winds, and dramatic diurnal swings shape every cluster — the 2020 Estate Red is a rare debut. Dark berry, smoked meat, and brown spice on the nose; tart cherry, graphite, and leather on the palate. Jeb Dunnuck noted its “terrific purity, polished elegant mouthfeel, and outstanding length,” while Billy Norris praised its balance and purity, calling it a superb effort for vines so young. Wine Enthusiast awarded 93 Points Top 100 Cellar Selection and called it “the inaugural vintage of one of the more interesting estates to come to California in years.” Firmly structured with fruit that lingers, this is a wine built for time. Drink now–2040.

93 points Wine Enthusiast

91 points Jeb Dunnuck

91 points Vinous

Wine Enthusiast

Top 100 Cellar Selection

There are many reasons to lay this wine down for years to come. Firstly, it's firmly built, featuring mountaintop-influenced tannins that will last for years. Secondly, it's the inaugural vintage of one of the more interesting estates to come to California in years. And lastly, it's a unique expression, offering dark berry, smoked meat and pencil shavings on the nose and palate, where that structure persists deep into the finish. Drink now–2040.”

Matt Kettmann

Jeb Dunnuck

The 2020 Ojai Mountain Red Blend is based on an interesting mix of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Franc. This deeper ruby/purple-hued effort offers ample Bing cherry, candied strawberry, ground pepper, leather, and graphite-like nuances to go with a medium to full-bodied style on the palate. It has terrific purity, a polished, elegant mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It's clearly impeccably made.”

Jeb Dunnuck

Vinous

The 2020 Red Blend (30% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Mourvèdre, 8% Cabernet Franc) is a dark, brooding, intense wine that requires coaxing to reveal a well-defined array of dark cherry fruit, seaside herbs and brown spices. Broad in stature but balanced and calibrated, the 2020 is a superb effort, considering the nascent vine age. It's only up from here.”

Billy Norris

Production

264 cases 100% estate

Vinification

5-day cold soak, open-top fermentation

Aging Process

Aged for 20 months in 100% neutral French oak barriques.

Key Dates

Harvested: Aug 16 – Sep 6, 2020 Bottled: April 19, 2022 Released: August 2023

Winemaker

Erich Bradley

Winemaking Philosophy

We farm biodynamically at high elevation and intervene minimally in the cellar. The goal isn't to make wine—it's to let the vineyard speak for itself.

Learn About Winemaking Approach

Key Principles

Vineyard health and timing over cellar correction
Native fermentation with close monitoring
Minimal additives (sulfur only, used sparingly)
Vintage variation as a feature, not a flaw
Wines built for the table with food compatibility

Winemaking Process

Our process emphasizes native yeast fermentation, minimal additives, and selective use of neutral French oak. We monitor closely but intervene sparingly, allowing vintage character and site expression to shine through. The result is transparent, food-friendly wines with natural acidity and layered complexity.

PAIRING

Charcoal-grilled lamb shoulder, rosemary jus, and young garlic; braised beef with dried mushrooms and red wine stock; roasted eggplant, smoked tomato, and aged Pecorino.

The wines hold their shape alongside hearty flavors yet remain bright enough for herb-driven or earthy preparations.

Try Our Suggested Recipe

This wine was made for meaty, earthy flavors. Try it with our portobello mushroom pappardelle—rosemary, garlic, and Parmesan meet dark berry and smoked meat notes in perfect harmony.

Get The Recipe

The origin of the vintage

Unique Ojai Mountain Terroir

Ojai Mountain rises at 3,000 feet, just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The valley's rare east-west orientation opens a direct corridor for marine air, allowing coastal winds to moderate heat and slow ripening. Ancient Monterey shale—fractured rock from a prehistoric seabed—drains quickly and forces shallow rooting, naturally limiting vigor and berry size. Farmed organically, the site produces wines of tension and clarity rather than broad ripeness. Elevation, wind, and ocean influence create a cool-climate profile uncommon this far south in California, yielding concentrated flavors with firm structure and lift.

Learn About Our Terroir

The 2020 vintage

The 2020 season moved quickly on the ridge. A dry, mild winter led to an early start, and by spring the clusters were already small and firm from thin soils and steady wind. Summer arrived in brief, sharp heatwaves that pushed ripening along at a brisk pace. Grenache and Syrah were picked first, showing dark color and bright acidity, followed by the Cabernet varieties in early September as warm afternoons gave way to cool mountain nights. Yields were naturally low, and the fruit came in concentrated and clean. The year left the wine with a darker profile, a clear line of acidity, and a calm, even structure.

Read the Full Vintage Story