John Alban is one of the pioneers of Rhone varietal wines in California. His eponymous winery is still one of the best. This is a big wine but for those who like this style, it is excellent. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, some black pepper, slight roasted meats and gravelly dirt. On the palate, the texture is lush and almost seamless. This is slightly sweet, most likely from ripe fruit. Black raspberries and some black cherries. Plenty of depth with a long finish. A tasty wine for sure. It drinks great on its own (and was perfect with a nice Cuban cigar). It will take bold foods to match. Perhaps a nice steak. This will continue to evolve for the next five or ten years and be good for a while after that. These wines age better than people think though the fruit does fade and mature.
