January 17, 2023 - Plum red color to the edge. Plums and cherries on the nose. Palate echoes the nose with plums, cherries, bit of hard spice. Soft tannins, just a bit out of balance at this point with sharper acidity than I like. Finishes long and dark fruited. Probably the best older Alban Syrah I have had. I wouldn't wait on it.
December 25, 2021 - Wow. Brooding color, spice nose, Syrah. Long on the palate and in the glass. Buy/hold/drink
April 29, 2019 - Still excellent but not as transcendent as the last tasting. Feels like it’s in the home stretch. I’m gonna try to drink my last couple bottles within the next year or two.
July 11, 2018 - Drank with Hanger steak and chimichurri in lieu of a Malbec
December 17, 2017 - Massive wine with dark fruits and immense pepper and other spices. Still drinking great at 15 years.
March 29, 2017 - Argentinian Beef Dinner (Boneyard Bistro): This was really in a sweet spot. Drinking perfectly. Has a little more time left also.
December 11, 2016 - Massive wine - it's like Guigal or Chapoutier moved to America and made their wines in a big fruit forward way.
Way too heavy and concentrated/intense.
Some initial tar and such but little finesse or complexity.
Typical brash American style brought to Syrah.
December 7, 2016 - 2016 Athens Wine Event (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted Blind but picked it as the wine we submitted. Easy one to.
Big and massive 16+ alc, rich dark fruits, spice, light black olive feel. A wine that is amplified across from fruit, to alc to body to length. Not for the light hearted but it sort of works in its own way even for old world lovers like us. Probably a bit better to have Alban's on their own or a bit younger we are starting to believe. This 2002 was little bit muted compared to younger and more expressive (like 2006 Reva and 2005 Lorraine Papies 97 for both). 92-93 and we would suggest one drinks sooner than later or flip the coin and forget it for 10yrs
November 16, 2016 - This may have been a flawed bottle. The nose was a little odd. It had some pickle brine notes that although I have liked that characteristic in the past, for this it really wasn't. However, the taste was no issues at all. It was quite delicious. Tannins were in check and this was drinking very mature.
October 12, 2016 - Yum.