Alban Vineyards Tasting 1993-2009

Bob Summers and I have been wanting to do a tasting like this for a long long time....so 8 of us, fairly local, Alban fans got together Sunday, to watch the games, eat some grub, and suck down as much Alban juice as we could! It was an epic tasting...thanks to all!!!

• NV Champagne Collet Champagne Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  Nice and creamy, sweet pear, apple fruit...tiny bubbles, lemon, slight dough.....easy sipping champ, a little more on the sweet side.

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• 1999 Alban Vineyards Roussanne Estate 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  This bottle is showing absolutely stunning! After about 3+hrs opened...wonderful exotic hot buttered rum spice, smoky match strike, butterscotch....ripe peach, apricot fruit, slight sour skin....balanced well with GREAT citrus acidity and minerals to hold it all together. Best showing of this I've ever had.

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• 2001 Qupé Roussanne Alban Estate Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  This was fantastic! I was right Bob...we did have this wine at the first tasting! Still fresh and alive with super acidity....seemed like just a few years old. Bright and clean lemon/lime, green apple, melon fruit....little smoky ala Alban, but not even close to what the '99 showed. Lemon curd, honeysuckle florals, spice. Really nice wine here...with a long life ahead.

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• 1998 Alban Vineyards Viognier The Heavyweight Alban Estate Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  VERY excited to try this, as I knew it existed, but have never had or seen one. Looks like it's from purchased fruit, since it has the Central Coast designation. This is no "heavyweight" at all.....cloudy gold color, great floral spiced nose. More on the delicate side.....round fruit of peach, apricot, pear...creamy, savory, and held together with very fine citrus acid, no alcohol at all. Showed nice subtle complexities of marshmallow creme, lychee, sweet peach tea, little barrel spice on the finish. I really liked this...wish I had some!

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• 2007 Alban Vineyards Viognier Alban Estate Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  I've had this wine numerous times recently....this bottle was a little more richer than I remember....vanilla creme, tropicals, honeysuckle, marshmallow, some heat showing. Not as much match strike as I usually get. The '09 Central Coast bested this.

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• 2009 Alban Vineyards Viognier 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  This was a surprise....very fresh with beautiful florals...lychee, peach tea, honeysuckle...not hot and alcoholic(14.6) like some...well rounded, balanced. Love the cloudy unfiltered gold yellow color. A great Summer sipper!

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• 2001 Alban Vineyards Viognier "Rotten Luck" TBA 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Sweet, unctuous, candied apricot/pear...creme brulee crust, tea spice, orange rind...wish it had more acid to it...but I liked it for its subtle elegance. 10.1 alc.

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• 1993 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Definitly showing some age....still pretty dark and sweet berry, plum fruit...mellow tannin, orange acid...showing some mocha, mentol tobacco, beef broth, olive. Not dead at all....great wine to sip on.

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• 1994 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  WOW...where did this French Rhone come from? Totally different from all the other Alban's......more Cote Rotie-like....herbs, leather, black peppered meat, little smoky bacon. The only sign of anything Alban is the rich blackberry pie fruit...has amazing fresh acid, giving it super balance. This wine rocked!

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• 1999 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  The big acid year for Alban has finally given up its grip! What great fresh acid in this...giving the rich and sweet wild berry pie fruit, super lift. Classic tar, big dusty spices, licorice....killer!

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• 2007 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Boy this is young! With all the older Alban's we were tasting...this stood out like a sour thumb. Barrel sample like....rich, yet a little grapey, dark berry fruit...some graphite, raspberry puree, cherry cordials, vanilla bean oak barrel....not much tar funk. Tasty, just needs more time to make it more interesting. +pts

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• 1996 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Lighter with its age....plumberry, raspberry fruit...mellow sour skin acid, which gives it good freshness...faint asphalt tar, tea leaves....wonderful balance and integration. Loved this wine at this stage.

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• 1999 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard 97 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  FINALLY the big acid has broken! This wine has never been drinkable to me...but that was in its youth. The acid is still very much pronounced, but now balanced, making this wine fresh and alive. Still pretty rich wild berry fruit, some plum skin tartness, raspberry puree, great smoky funky tar...total Alban terroir! Just loved this!

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• 2003 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Here comes the huge rich fruit! Dark liqueur berries, sweet and candied, yet too so. Killer complexities of white pepper spice, smoky asphalt, grilled meat. Big wine(16.2) but well balanced and doesn't show. Lot of goodness in this one!

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• 1999 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine 98 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Amazing wine here! Sweet cold soaked blueberry/blackberry fruit, creme de cassis, exotic dusty spice, graphite, classic tar funk.....all in perfect balance with an acidic kick to the finish. The feel to this was unreal! My WOTN!

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• 2000 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine 94 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  More reductive funk to this one....smooth and creamy dark berry fruit, creme de cassis, white pepper, licorice, gun flint.....perfect sweetness of fruit, maybe a little out of whack with the tar. Tasty none the less.

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• 2002 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  HUGE fruit...sweet and concentrated.....yet enough sour cherry acidity to balance. Kirsch liqueur, white pepper spice, great florals, licorice, cold smoked meat, powdery graphite. Layered with amazing flavors....rich. Should age well.

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• 1998 Alban Vineyards Pandora 94 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  More red fruit here....dark, smooth, creamy. More earth tones, mulch, walnut....opened up nicely with some air..dark spice, smoked game, tar, good acidic tart plum skin kick, great balance. This got better after it was opened.

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• 2001 Alban Vineyards Syrah Seymour's Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  I think I liked this more than most....again, huge rich and sweet concentrated dark berry fruit...liqueured soaked fruit...plenty of tar funk, dusty white pepper tannins, olive, florals of violets. Not as expressive as a bottle had a year or so ago...everything well balanced but more on the mute side(for a Seymour's).....still, I liked it! Can't wait for the leftovers tonight!

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• 2004 Forsythe Vineyard (Alban) Mourvèdre The Mason 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley

  Dark berry, blueberry liqueur fruit....LOVE the dusty white pepper spice in this...some menthol, warm chocolate brownies, smoke meat, coffee, little pine sap. Really young, big tannic grip...needs time. +pts

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• 1969 Freemark Abbey Petite Sirah 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  The birthday wine...from the Barney Rhodes cellar....very young looking and tasting! Wonderful smooth plum/blackberry fruit, leather, mushroom, olives, anise. Still sweet, plum liqueur, good dose of dusty old cellar tannin dryness, great tobacco leaf, balance. Best '69er I've had!

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