Ojai Mountain
Floral and tropical on the nose, the most vibrant of the set — citrus zest, green pineapple, lychee, and a saline finish that grips and lingers. Roussanne holds the tension without softening it. Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection. Drink now–2034.
Top Review
92Wine Spectator
Drinking Window
2025 – 2034
Production
154 cases
Whole-cluster pressed and fermented with native yeast, then aged 6 months in neutral French oak, the 2024 Estate White was picked just ahead of a 100F heat spike, early timing that gives it more polish than tension, sitting between the richness of 2022 and the precision of 2025.
Mango and lychee add depth at the core, with green pineapple and mirabelle plum carrying through to a lemongrass-tinged close. A whisper of piney resin keeps the aromatics from tipping tropical, and the finish holds real length without losing its poise.
2024 tested the estate on two fronts, a volatile spring-to-summer swing and a pair of late-season heatwaves that forced hard calls on timing across every block.
After a cool spring, late-summer heat made timing essential. Grenache Blanc and the mixed white blocks were picked September 3 and 4, with Picpoul following on September 7, all before the season's strongest heat. The result is a bright, taut white shaped by early decisions and clean acidity.
Two late-summer heatwaves past 100°F. Early picks and a deliberate gamble on hang time.
From Our Journal10 min read
Inside a volatile season: early picking decisions, two heatwaves, and the vintage conditions shaping the wines.
The 2024 Estate White carries the largest Roussanne share of any vintage at 11%, with a near-even Grenache Blanc-Picpoul core. The structure holds the vintage's defining tension: Picpoul's acidity cuts cleanly while Roussanne rounds the frame without softening it.
| Vintage | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Blend | 46% Grenache Blanc · 43% Picpoul · 11% Roussanne |
| Rootstocks | SO4 (6 rows) / 1103 (Grenache Blanc); 1103 (Picpoul, Roussanne) |
| Clones | 01/TVA (Grenache Blanc); Wonderful Nurseries (Picpoul, Roussanne) |
| Estate Fruit | 100% |
| Appellation | Ventura County |
Cellar work is deliberately restrained. Whole clusters are pressed gently and only free-run juice is carried forward. Fermentation is initiated by native yeasts in neutral French oak barriques, with no malolactic conversion, and the wine ages on its lees in the same neutral oak before bottling without fining.
| Pressing | Unfined, gently filtered |
|---|---|
| Fermentation Vessel | Neutral French oak barriques |
| Yeast | Native yeast |
| Oak Aging | Fermented and aged 6 months in 100% neutral French oak barriques, no malolactic conversion |
| Fining & Filtration | Unfined, gently filtered |
From Our Journal10 min read
Erich Bradley's journey in winemaking spans more than 25 vintages, from early cellar work in Sonoma to leading Ojai Mountain's high-elevation vineyard project.
An early pick ahead of the heat locked in the highest malic acid of any estate white: 13.1% alcohol on a 3.14 pH with 7.8 g/L of acidity and no malolactic conversion. The chemistry is the karate kick Vinous described: linearity, focus, and a mouthwatering finish.
The most tension-driven white of the range: highest malic retention, taut frame, saline finish.
Generous nose, precise palate. Mango, white flowers, and peach pit open with guava hints, before lychee, citrus zest, and green pineapple arrive on a taut, focused frame with elastic tension, finishing saline with real length.
Wine Characteristics
“As I get older, I find myself chasing tension in wine. Not weight. Not volume. Tension.”
| Production Count | 154 Cases |
|---|---|
| Harvest Date | September 3, 4, and 7, 2024 |
| Élevage | 6 months |
| Bottled Date | March 10, 2025 |
| Released Date | August 2025 |
The most Mediterranean of the estate whites. Grilled octopus and Chilean sea bass sit at the center of its ideal pairings, matched by roasted chicken with preserved lemon and shrimp with saffron. A Nicoise salad rounds things out for warm-weather, lighter fare, its floral lift and saline finish echo the dish's olives and citrus.
From Our Kitchen10 min read
Mediterranean flavors mirror the wine's balance and freshness.
Fractured Monterey shale at 2,800 feet, ten miles from the Pacific and above the fog line. Almost no topsoil, so roots dig deep and berries stay small.
Hand-farmed block by block on steep mountain terrain. Organically grown, regeneratively farmed, planted at 1,800 vines per acre to keep yields low.
Native yeast, free-run juice only, neutral French oak. No fining on any wine, and the reds go to bottle unfiltered.
Storage, serving, and what makes this wine what it is. For visiting, booking, and policy questions, see our full FAQ.
It carries the most tension and brightness of any vintage, sitting between styles: more lifted and taut than the broad 2022, more floral and layered than the racy 2021. The highest Roussanne share of the range holds the frame without softening it.
Wine Enthusiast noted it has the bones to age, consistent with the drink now through 2034 window above. High malic retention and a taut frame give it staying power. Store it on its side, in a dark, cool space.
Serve at 46 to 50°F. Its taut acidity and saline finish reward a proper chill; the tropical aromatics open quickly in the glass.
This wine was made for the raw bar: oysters with yuzu mignonette, crudo with citrus, chilled Dungeness crab. Its saline minerality mirrors ocean brine while the acidity keeps every bite crystalline.
