Another amazing Syrah from John Alban. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is complex and beautiful with black raspberries, roasted meats and roasted herbs, slight dark chocolate and a slight floral note. Full bodied. Great plush texture with more than enough acidity to tie everything together. The palate has flavors of black raspberries, roasted herbs with a nice earthiness underneath. Long finish.
John Alban is one of the pioneers of the California Rhone wine movement and he is still at the top of his game. Inky purple in color, magenta at the rim. An amazing nose with black raspberries, graphite and a bit of funky earthiness. Full bodied. On the palate, this is delicious. Lush. Black raspberry fruit with underlying char. Long finish. Just starting to show some maturity. This ill go another ten to fifteen years with no trouble. Great on its own, this will work well with spicy foods.
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 wi
Opened this on night one. It was drinking ok, but tight. Recorked, on the counter and reopened the following evening. Much better. This is 97 to 100% Syrah with the balance, Viognier. While perhaps a "weaker" vintage and more accessible than most, this is a killer wine. Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright. The nose has black raspberries, maybe some boysenberries (its a fine line), along with black pepper, black olives and slight floral notes. In the glass, an earthy note comes out. Great texture. Luxurious but energetic at the same time. On the palate, black raspbe
This is drinking great and probably at peak. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries with black pepper and some roasted meats and herbs. Full bodied. Complex. Still lots of upfront black raspberry fruit but lots of depth and layering with earthiness, char and black pepper. Delicious. Long finish. This should go another five to ten years but won't get better. Great on its own, this will work well with roasted meat or veggies. I last had this in 2009, so it was great to be able to see what happened to all that potential it showed in its youth.
