2/13/2024 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

This seems like it was once good but has already become over-aged. Still drinkable, but the drinking window to 2030 is a big miss.

2/1/2024 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Still very fresh. This will last a while. Starting to get a petrol backdrop behind honey and green apple.

6/10/2023 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Chewy and murky, but seems to have a good deal of underlying fruit and complexity. Prune, mushroom, and woody notes with a hint of cinnamon. Will probably improve with time.

2/3/2023 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Recommendation: smell the cork. It will grip your mind in a very satisfying way. The wine itself needs a lot more time to open up, but the density is profound and I expect it to evolve really nicely over a weekend, not to say over years (or decades?) more of closed-bottle age.

9/27/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Complex and very smooth. Much better than nearly all bargain Tuscans - or other low priced Italians for that matter - that I have tried, and I have tried quite a few.

9/23/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Some tarry depth with raspberry fruit, but mostly overheated and closed up.

9/17/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Smooth to a really profound degree. It’s so well integrated that it takes a while to pick apart. Think about the 45+ second finish, though, and you can pry out everything from mint to iron to leather to smoke.

8/5/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Beautiful blend of smoky, leathery, classic Bordeaux elements.

8/1/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Chewy and thick, like a port, almost impossibly concentrated and dense. Leads with maple glaze, backed up by leather and cigar box, raspberry fruit with a nice, surprising edge of something - capers?

6/5/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Rich leather and prune with some gentle smokiness. This is getting toward the end of its prime but is very enjoyable now.

5/28/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Needs a lot of time to air out. Very jammy for the first 45 min after decanting. After that, it gets better and you start to get the classic Clos du Val chocolate and coffee smoothness.

5/26/2022 - eeeeeradicator Does not like this wine:

Too much tar and rubber - This must have been stored poorly before I bought it. Seems like there may have been some decent underlying wine there, but it’s buried now.

4/10/2022 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

A real disappointment. I wonder if this bottle was stored poorly. Overwhelming tar with basically no fruit. Bought from wine.com, which has been fairly reliable in the past but may be losing its edge.

12/18/2021 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

This is a real power-hitter of a wine, with a supremely concentrated wall of flavor. Nose is heavy on leather, smoke, chocolate, and blueberry. Might still be on the young side, as it seemed “huge” even when paired with a grilled New York strip. Believe the drinking window - I expect it will still seem fresh in 2025.

12/29/2020 - eeeeeradicator Likes this wine:

Drank some of this on Christmas, and now finishing it up on 12/29, and the difference is astonishing. It was fine, you know, enjoyable, on day 1, but after 4 days in the fridge it entered a whole new realm. Honey, salty sea spray, creme brûlée, and slight minerality all show up initially, and an unexpected streak of black pepper shoots through if you really give it a chance. More surprises when taking a sip - some of the slippery petrol of an old German riesling, butterscotch, a bit of mint. Nice stuff.

10/18/2020 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Deep tar, leather, tobacco, chocolate nose. Most prominent fruit is raspberry, with some interesting tart blood orange background. Some stony/slate character too. A tad too “hot” but otherwise decently sophisticated. Pairs well with barbecued steak, as Rudius usually does.

10/3/2020 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Perfectly balanced between earthy, mineral depth and bright, vibrant citrus tang. Best wine/food pairing I have had this year, with wild mushroom risotto.

5/4/2020 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Delightful example of earthy California Bordeaux-influenced style. Smoky but clean - no excess weight or mismatched alcohol level.

10/20/2019 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Has a peppery/allspice edge that went perfectly with a creamy steak au poivre.

9/15/2019 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Still a very intriguing wine, but definitely going downhill. Took an hour to open up past the stringent piney nose after initial decant, then had a nice little smoky campfire phase for a short time, followed by a heavy, high heat finish late in the the evening. Not likely to improve with further aging.

9/2/2019 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Brick red. Loose and not at all oily or viscous in the glass. The nose is really deep, with a brilliant smoky edge that channels up burning leaves for anyone who has traveled through the countryside in the fall. Gets the classic Florentine steak pairing right.

5/12/2019 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

An absolute bully of a wine, in a good way. Alban is one of the best examples of the juicy, massive California style - all big fruit, but no unnecessary harshness. Smoke and leather permeate the nose of raspberries and black cherry. Some iron tang is noticeable too.

10/6/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Solid and respectable, slightly tarry and “hot” but with a nice black cherry and maple syrup profile. To call it a good value is an understatement.

9/15/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Engaging, spicy red with a great balance between rustic and sophisticated characteristics. Woody, minty, and slightly smoky with black cherry and fig fruits.

Still quite tannic - I'd peg the end of the drinking window more like 2023-24 rather than 2020.

9/6/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Fairly unique style with lots of minty energy.

8/26/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Not the best of Alban. Kind of vegetal. Still, the finish is unquestionably impressive at 45 seconds plus, and there is a robust minty and leathery type of experience that focuses the attention. Doesn’t live up to its price, but still a very enjoyable wine.

7/28/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Interesting variation on past KB’s. Developed an herbal, slightly minty character after about half an hour.

6/11/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Interesting and unexpected black cherry and spicy nose. A little thin for a cab. Reasonable value, though.

4/12/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Tremendous exotic fruits and sea breeze pour forth from this creamy, sweet SB. Can’t quite place the leading edge of the nose - star fruit maybe? Oily and viscous, great with spicy food.

3/2/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Tremendous minerality with sea air and oily vibe. Almost don’t want to drink it because the nose will run out. Super smooth and slippery. Best dessert wine I have had in 2 or 3 years.

2/25/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Charcoal nose with iron and roasted pepper notes. Chalky mouth coating. Velvety smooth. On par with many 40-50 dollar California cabs. Will buy again for sure.

2/13/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Chewy with a lot of green pepper funk that should calm down over time. Nice smoky background. Gets better after an hour open. I expect this to go up several points by 2020.

2/10/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Delightful, creamy balance of sweetness, mineral, and crispness. Lemon is prominent, with strong green apple and subtle deep hints of sea shore and desert brush.

2/5/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Leathery, charcoal, vibrant cherry, slight tinge of iron. Really drinking beautifully. Paired well with Korean food (a challenging cuisine to match).

1/17/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Vibrant and penetrating berry nose with minty background. Some earthiness too. 40 second finish. Drinking well now but could benefit from 3-5 more years too.

1/7/2018 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

A unique experience. The nose cannot be categorized in terms of wine. If I was smelling this blindfolded in a stemless glass, I'd mistake it for high-end bourbon. The nutty, honeyed, heavy-alcohol, somewhat paint-like air is both jarring and fascinating coming out of a dark red beverage. Things return to earth a bit when actually tasting it. Plenty of raspberry, cream, pepper, and woodsy characteristics. Overall not worth the money but fun as a departure from the norm.

11/18/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Fairly tannic but quite a nice ripe and relatively balanced offering. Crisply acidic and food friendly. Not a fruit bomb or excessive in any way really. Nicely done.

11/12/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Decanted for 1/2 hour. This is drinking quite nicely already. Deep ruby color. Incisive nose of flowers, peppers and the sea shore, with a tiny hint of coffee. You would not think all of that could be integrated, but it is. The tannins linger in the mouth, but not too much. Steely finish caps it off.

10/12/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Legitimate value cab. Musky, intense tree bark and leather with blood orange backdrop. Moderately tannic.

10/8/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Still improving. Could go another 1-2 years until peak. Berries and leather together. Perfect pairing with lamb stew.

9/30/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Solid value grilled steak wine. Crisp acidity.

8/6/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Really nice refinement for the price. Smoky and spicy. Strong campfire, allspice, and cracked pepper notes. Paired with grilled steak, and would do that again.

7/23/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Only just starting to develop brick color - still more of a rose-purple. Intriguing, nicely aged nose of mushroom, cassis, and wood. Still very much in its prime. Bought this in a "vertical" of '07 to '09, and I'm going to wait a while to open the others.

7/16/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Totally exceeded expectations. Deep mushroom and woody nose but without even a hint of being "too old." Some rosemary and black cherry qualities that burnish the depth.

7/8/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Punches above its weight. Rich, leathery, dark red fruit. Nice to see an Argentine blend instead of another Malbec.

6/10/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Smoky, deep forest floor nose. Really coats the mouth, supporting an impressive, 90-second finish.

6/9/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Tobacco, raspberry, and black cherry. Nice acidity and smoothness together. Great with some high-quality grilled burgers.

5/31/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Interesting combination. Seems a lot more Pinot than Malbec, despite the labeled percentages. Rustic and slightly vegetal, but charming thanks to a spicy, peppery streak and because it is just different.

5/1/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

One of the best value wines I have had in a long time. Ripe pear and fresh peach on the nose, with lemon curd and some mineral backing it up.

4/12/2017 - eeeeeradicator wrote:

Very round and heavy. Past its prime.