Oak Cliff Cellars

"Art in the Bottle; Friendship in the Glass"
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OLABISI WINES
 
Olabisi is an African girl's given name meaning "joy multiplied". It is also the name of a small Napa winery founded in 2002 by husband-wife team Kim Wedlake and Ted Osborne.
 
Kim brought them to the Napa Valley 13 years ago--she to design wine labels and he to pursue winemaking. Possessing only his English degree and no formal training.
 
Ted set out to gain his winemaking knowledge as an apprentice first. From 1995 to 2002, Ted worked for Cakebread Cellars in Napa, Passing Clouds in Australia, Rupert & Rothschild in South Africa, Chateau du Seuil in Bordeaux, and Storybook Mountain Winery in Napa. By now it seemed time to focus that experience on their own wines.
 
Since then, they've dedicated themselves to making small-production expressive wines from diamond-in-the-rough vineyards. Most recently, Ted was head winemaker for Pina Cellars and he still consults for Phifer Pavitt, Blue Hall Vineyard, and Trahan wines.
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
 
 
Olabisi  2006  Mendocino Chardonnay
Double Top Secret Vineyard
 
Crisp and creamy, lime and lemon zest, honeysuckle, mandarin orange, lemon curd, creme fraiche, wild sage, sea salt, chalky, mineral lime, incredible length and texture. Great now, and should improve significantly with bottle age. Even so, we can’t seem to stop popping the corks on this wine. 
 
Retail Price ................................................................$30
 
 
Olabisi 2007 Carneros Chardonnay 
Ceja Vineyard
 
Complex and intoxicating aromas of tangerine, tropical honey, lemon, toast, lychee, apricot, and marzipan. The decadent palate bursts with Meyer lemon crème fraîche, pineapple, and fig, built on zesty acidity and just a touch of sweetness, with a long, thought provoking finish.
 
Retail Price ...............................................................  $40
                                                                   
 
Olabisi  2005  Suisun  Valley  Syrah
King  Vineyard
 
Blackberry, currant, crispy bacon smoke, then floral pear and peach, accented with peppery spice. On the palate it opens with a complex burst of fruit (all the usual suspects including candy apple), coated in thick chewy tannins and supported by plenty of food-friendly acidity, transforming to succulent stone fruits over fine-grained tannins on the long finish. (Could go another 10 to 12 years.)
 
Retail Price ................................................................ $34
 
Olabisi  2005  Suisun  Valley Petite  Sirah
King  Vineyard
 
Both spicy and confectionery, with notes of cinnamon, violets, garden roses, sweet red apple, fresh brambly berries, cigar box, juicyfruit, and some kind of delectable silky quality that I can’t quite pin down yet. On the palate, vibrant ripe berries, succulent dense dark tannins, tightly wound and complex, with a texture and essence of dark chocolate on the finish. (Best from 2008 – 2018.)
 
Retail Price ..............................................................   $45