2009 Ojai Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard

Ripe apricots, honeysuckle, mint and flowers burst from the glass as the 2009 Chardonnay Bien Nacido shows off its personality. Today, the 2009 comes across as very young. The aromas and flavors are still very much closed. Hints of spices and fennel emerge on the expansive finish, but the 2009 is still at least another year or two away from giving its best. The old vines (planted in 1973) give the Bien Nacido notable intensity and depth. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2019. This is a gorgeous set of wines from Ojai and proprietor Adam Tolmach. The 2009 Pinots and 2008 Syrahs in particular are terrific. The best Ojai wines – and there are many that vie for that label – are gorgeous, transparent to site and highly expressive. As always, the style at Ojai is fairly non-interventionalist. Since 2005, the fermentations have been gentler, with less overall extraction. The malos proceed naturally and slowly. As a rule, the wines are never racked until bottling. The Ojai wines remain exceedingly fairly priced considering the quality and painstaking effort that goes into every bottle. Tel. (805) 649-1674; www.ojaivineyard.com

Light gold. Seductively perfumed bouquet of lemon curd, nectarine, jasmine and iodine, with a suave note of mace. Juicy, expansive orchard and pit fruit flavors are lifted by a tangy citrus zest quality, which adds back-end precision. Closes on an impressively focused, stony note, with excellent length. Adam Tolmach told me that these vines are 38 years old.