2017 Ojai Kessler-Haak Vineyard Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 750 ml

We’ve been hankering for an allocation of the Ojai Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir for years. It’s a bottling we love for its nuanced expressivity and aromatic complexity, but because of the site’s low yields, the cupboard’s always been bare when we’ve come calling.

So when our friend, winemaker Adam Tolmach, mentioned in passing that he had 20 or so unsold cases left, we froze. Why hadn’t he mentioned that providential fact earlier? He shrugged: "I didn’t know if it’d be worth your time.” Heck, we’d have sprung for just 20 bottles of a Pinot this transparent, balanced, and beautiful!

This is a must-buy from a producer that Wine Access members have trusted and delighted in going back ten vintages. You don’t want to miss this Pinot.

This is one of those releases that gives you the sense that Adam is playing chess while the rest of us are playing checkers. Suave and satiny, as expertly composed as a Donne sonnet, it’s a beautifully constructed wine that speaks to the balance of red cherry concentration and floral finesse that this cool, sunny site is capable of producing.

The 2017 is a ruby-hued bombshell—a bottle that redefines notions of terroir transparency and balance in the Sta. Rita Hills, captivating both us and the critics.

Vinous’ Antonio Galloni called it one of a “gorgeous set of wines,” a Pinot Noir of “density and power,” that’s “brooding in the glass.” Jeb Dunnuck awarded it 94 points, calling the cuvée “another beautiful wine from this estate that will evolve for at least a decade.”

Adam had an eye on the Kessler-Haak vineyard long before he made this wine. For about a decade, he fashioned long-lived, vibrant Pinots from an adjacent property, Clos Pepe, and became well-acquainted with the terroir and climate there. Without rushing in, he mused about how Kessler-Haak’s renowned grapes might best be put to use.

“A huge part of winemaking is just trying to be thoughtful about the process,” Adam told us.

When some of his younger employees talked him into experimenting more with whole-cluster fermentation, a light went on in his head. His experience with Clos Pepe had taught him that the area excelled at big, clean fruit and lively acids, but there had always been some secret piece eluding him. Perhaps stem inclusion would be just the thing.

In 2014, he experimented with a first batch from Kessler-Haak, fermenting two lots: half the grapes were destemmed, the other half with whole clusters. When tasted, each had their virtues—but combined, they were knockout material.

The soils of Kessler-Haak are extremely sandy, giving vines little comfort or aid, resulting in low-vigor growth. That means smaller yields and beautifully concentrated fruit. The area is cool and foggy, with Pacific breezes running straight down the region’s east-west valleys and preserving bright acidity in the grapes.

The 2017 vintage brought Adam’s original vision to full fruition, uniting herbaceous depth with zippy freshness and fine-grained tannins. We’re trying not to mind that we only have 20 cases… but just make sure you’re not left chasing after the nonexistent 21st!