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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.9 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 212 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cow Town on 2/5/2024 & rated 93 points: 20 years in, this is still drinking well. Color still youthful, nose of dark fruit with a little Alban funk (different than Cayuse funk, but seems to be present in Alban wines). Mouthfeel still full and velvety, and a crazy long finish. (379 views) | | | Tasted by D'Yquembe Mutumbo on 10/23/2019 & rated 92 points: Out for steak last night, I decided to bring a big, blockbuster styled Syrah to stand up to some of the fattiness of the meal. Right out of the bottle this had a big nose, a lot of barnyard funk and some meaty tones. First sip and this is ready to go, I wouldn't say past its prime like the drink by date on here suggests, but there's no reason to hold onto these bottles anymore. The palette was big and full, a mountain of black and blue berries with some kirsch layered on top. The disappointing part of the wine was the short finish, as this big wine didn't linger long in your mouth after it went down. Kind of weird, and maybe lending to this being over the hill, but it took away from the overall enjoyment. Not a bad experience at all, the wine was nice, but not something I would buy again at this price point. (3611 views) | | | Tasted by tummala on 6/13/2018 & rated 98 points: Amazing wine. Awesome bouquet with hints of molasses. Chewy on the palate and a long finish. (3418 views) | | | Tasted by WetRock on 2/16/2018: Still tarry and meaty after all these years. Plenty of density in this still. You would hope for more complexity but I think this is one of those wines where you have to learn to accept what it gives in it's youth as it's best shot. I could be wrong but this doesn't seem like the kind of wine that's brooding while it waits to awaken into something harmonious and complex. This is big and brawny. Fun wines. Last of my stash. (3253 views) | | | Tasted by TXRhoneRanger on 12/25/2017 & rated 91 points: This bottle wasn't up to 'normal' Reva standards. Was it the vintage? I dunno. Great fruit, but it had a really hard edge that I wasn't expecting. Tannic still as well. Not sur if those tannins will resolve. Enjoyed over 2 days with Prime Rib and leftovers, and it really never blossomed. Unsure if this will dry out or not. I would drink this one up. Still a beast though. (3164 views) | | | Tasted by markjanes on 5/26/2017 & rated 93 points: dark as night, reddish rim… huge nose with loads of asphalt, meat, blood, dark fruits, baking spices. on the palate low acidity, viscous, deep, rich mid palate, very ripe tannins that are quite round and integrated, high alcohol. wine has good balance (especially considering the low acidity and all of that midpalate weight), great length, superb intensity, very good complexity. wine isn’t about finesse at all but has a fantastic texture and very good expression of place. this is certainly not my favorite style of wine but the quality here is top notch… wine has a lot of extreme data points that blend together remarkably well… impressive. at it’s peak i’d think… but i would have also thought this wine would have been blown up by now so it may well stay great for several more years. (3999 views) | | | Tasted by LikeABC on 12/5/2016: In a great spot now. Opened 90 minutes in advance and visited a couple times at Christmas party. Integrated. Deep purple, almost aubergeine. Meat, pepper, tar, dark fruit. No alban funk. (3311 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 1/31/2016 & rated 97 points: No question about the quality of this monolithic Syrah! (3847 views) | | | Tasted by bobwire on 11/15/2015 & rated 94 points: Drink quickly. It's showing its age (3820 views) | | | Tasted by Mr T on 9/19/2015: Very dark and ripe and few if any signs of age (3827 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 9/7/2015 & rated 94 points: This terrific bottle of wine is absolutely singing right now and probably would hold up another 7-8 years. (3231 views) | | | Tasted by KenK on 5/20/2015 & rated 93 points: Yum, drinking great, classic Cali Syrah in s roasted dense creosote way. (3685 views) | | | Tasted by warrenpeace on 3/24/2015 & rated 95 points: A monster, still young. Huge blueberry flavor. Can last another 5 years easily (2675 views) | | | Tasted by dcwino on 9/2/2014 & rated 94 points: Impromptu gathering - Cos, Velvet Glove, SQN, Alban, Larkmead and etc. (Charlie Palmer - Washington DC): Intense black fruits, dark spices, nutmeg, allspices, caramel, tar and charred steak. Excellent concentration, intense jammy black and red fruit driven palate impression, sweet dark spices, nicely integrated tannins and long finish. This is still very youthful. A bit simple compare to the SQN in the crosshairs. Very Alban with dark sweet spices. (4653 views) | | | Tasted by Jonathan T on 7/31/2014 & rated 97 points: My last bottle of this wine. Makes me sad. This is the finest wine I've ever had from Alban and probably one of the top 5 Syrah-dominated wines I've had from CA. My previous bottle was only a year ago, but it has slightly evolved since then, as has been the case with every bottle I've had of this wine. The nose is even more explosive than the last bottle, but that may be because of better stemware. It is still an irresistable balance of meat, dried herbs and spices, but it's become more untame and wild in its gaminess. Previously, I described it as marinated tri-tip. Tonight it is more wild boar, grilled and sliced bloody, and wild boar sausage. Utterly magnificent. (3505 views) | | | Tasted by Mscruggs on 7/5/2014 & rated 96 points: Dark opaque color with a nose of tar. Ripe blueberry layered with graphite shavings on the palate with a long long 60 second finish. This wine does a great job masking it's 15.8% alcohol and is extremely well integrated and I believe will continue to show well for another 5-7 years. (3365 views) | | | Tasted by BVal on 6/1/2014 & rated 93 points: Color: opaque black/purple core -> dense ruby rim showing impressive color penetration. Pungent bouquet of black and kalamata olives, road tar, sheep shit (in a good way; i.e., Alban funk), raspberries and roasted meat. Really, really needed a 3-4 hour decant to soften that funk though!
I'll be the first to admit that this vintage of Reva has always perplexed me. I've always thought it was too hot (15.8% coming through too much), too gangly and too awkward; especially in the context that it follows the amazing '02. I've worried that it would never come together coherently. I'm happy to say that this bottle (finally!) is starting to knit itself together. Palate presents a boatload of sexy, bold black fruit with tar, slow-roasted charred sirloin and mocha. Current structure indicates this is still a baby; plenty of fruit, sweet tannins, excellent acidity and a long, delicious finish (still with a bit of heat though). Certainly the best of several bottles I've had; perhaps just beginning to hit its plateau of maturity? Be sure to decant well if having any year soon. (3262 views) | | | Tasted by bobwire on 1/5/2014 & rated 98 points: Haven't had a bottle of reva 2003 in almost 5 years. It was spectacular then but even betterand more interesting now. My first tasting, I recall the wine to be lighter and very fruity. The wine has age beautifully. It's put on considerable weight, the pepper and spice is more prominent, the fruit is still there but has taken a back seat and allowed all the other nuances to stand out.
its a superb syrah and a wonderful example of a california syrah at its best. (4109 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 12/22/2013 & rated 96 points: Mini Offline at Mike's featuring Alban; 12/21/2013-12/22/2013 (Minneapolis, MN): Excellent showing with smoke, roasted meats, white pepper, blueberries, and rose petals. While New World and high alcohol on the label this was balanced and had a long finish. Decanting 2.5 hours helped and consumed 2 glasses over the course of 3 hours. Powerful wine and should age nicely for a decade more. My second favorite wine of the night. (3742 views) | | | Tasted by mzimberg on 12/21/2013 & rated 95 points: Super dark, slightly roasted nose of syrupy fruites. Great palate of charred rare beef. To me, that's the Alban signature. Lithe for such a huge wine. Some ground coffee, smooth and very long. Very impressive American Syrah. (2831 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 12/15/2013 & rated 84 points: Pre-Holiday Dinner @ Home: Rich and concentrated, but very ripe and sweet, with the fruit verging on prunes. (3349 views) | | | Tasted by Cow Town on 12/7/2013: It's been almost seven years since I last had this wine. The color is still dark as night, and aromas burst out of the bottle. The problem is that it screams black olive. I love black olives, bit this is tough to take. A streak of gamey scents break it up, but not in a good way. Mouthfeel is lovely, and the finish is long. But, tonight, it wasn't my thing. (2766 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 11/9/2013: This hasn't budged since my last tasting in March, 2012. Loads of funk for the first two hours in bottle, and with another 2 hours in decanter, this still needed time to unfold. Dark as night, with tremendous depth of flavors and good freshness, this is built to last. recommended (2920 views) | | | Tasted by Jonathan T on 10/15/2013 & rated 98 points: My original tasting note on this wine includes descriptors not suitable for children, so I need to edit my thoughts on this wine. I'm absolutely confounded by this wine. I have had many syrah-based wines in my lifetime, but none that have gained such weight and energy with age as this one has. I've had several bottles of this vintage of Reva and it's always been gorgeous, but this is in another league. This is an Adriana Lima that is sexier than ever in her 30's. I have to disclose that my palate is partial to Alban fruit, which is why I prefer the older SQN's sourced heavily from Alban than more recent SQN's using estate fruit from Eleven Confessions. I love the sweet grilled peppers and slowly smoked sweet, peppery, and savory Santa Maria marinated tri-tip and the hint of oak and subtle herbs. It lacks the minerality of the best Saxum or SQN, but I don't miss it. I'm not even going to guess what the drinking window is on this wine, but I can't imagine wine getting much better than this. Certainly this wine is not for everyone. I'm sure some guys would kick Adriana Lima out of the bed, but I would imagine most tasters will find this wine mesmerizing. This is my new WOTY as of Oct 2013. (2717 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 9/22/2013 & rated 90 points: Pablo's WW tasting at Council Oak. Too hot for me. (2625 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Issue #10 (12/4/2011)
(Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2005, IWC Issue #121
(Alban Syrah Reva Edna Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (5/8/2008)
(Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard) Tight, tart berry nose with a touch of VA; tight but complex palate with pepper, berry, boysenberry, and oak showing, needs a few years; medium-plus finish 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Alban Vineyards Producer websiteSyrah Varietal article (Wikipedia) | (Wines Northwest)
Note that some producers in the Northern Rhone distinguish between simply Syrah and "Serine", the latter described as ‘an ancient clone of Syrah, the berries of which are more oval-shaped and less deeply pigmented than Syrah’ by producer Tardieu-Laurent. USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Central Coasthttp://www.ccwinegrowers.org/links.html
http://www.discovercaliforniawines.com/regional-wine-organizations/
http://beveragetradenetwork.com/en/btn-academy/list-of-winegrowers-association-in-central-coast-california-274.htm
Central Coast AVA Wikipedia |
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