April 6, 2023 - Last noted 9 years ago on 1/14 -- interested to see if time has been kind to this wine. Opened and tasted on PnP and it seemed pleasant and soft -- all that changed at about the 2 hour mark when the focus turned laser-sharp.
Color/App: translucent, moderately-deep ruby core -> garnet rim; medium ++ viscosity (not a surprise given the 16.8% Etoh). Bouquet showing raspberries and blackberries, road tar, charred brisket burnt ends, graphite and anisette. Palate is fairly soft with most of that alcohol hidden reasonably well. Raspberries and boysenberries, forest floor and earth, creosote and a hint of leather. Finishes a little hot (duh), but I can forgive that given how well this has aged and that it has still held onto considerable core concentration and intensity. Not quite as compelling as the '07 Pegau yesterday, but it's still pretty damn good. I'd say this will last at least a few more years at this level, but don't expect it to scale any further heights.
May 12, 2021 - Too much alc heat, disjointed, could plant another vineyard wit the amount of sediment.
September 21, 2020 - 1 hour decant.
A big wine , almost 17% alcohol.
A blend of dark berries and stewed tropical fruits. Mango.
A little over ripe new world for my taste, but.
It has good balance for a fruit bomb.
As it opened up more in hour two there’s more secondary flavors.
It drank well with our dinner, especially the tiramisu at the end. My wife liked it more than I
December 19, 2019 - Still fabulous. The second best Grenache made in North America (after Sine Qua Non). Alban's always get better with age, and I'm glad I waited to open this bottle.
December 15, 2018 - It took a full 3 hours to open and show its stuff. I was 92-3 at two hours, it had a punky nose and not much character... then blossomed in a rush to the wine I put on my Top 10 list back in 2008. What a treat! This is a Grenache for the books, I'm surprised it is so good at age 14. How long does Grenache age anyway?
March 5, 2018 - This never really opened up and gained weight. Not typical Alban and certainly nothing close to the scores and love being laid out here. Bit of a hot alcoholic mess tonight.
June 27, 2017 - I thought I had this wine just a few years ago. I remember the great dinner, the company, and how we were all impressed with how well the wine showed. I didn’t have much experience with Grenache from the U.S. as a single varietal (still don’t, really), but can vividly remember the generous dark fruit layers, cigar box, spice, tar, earth, and more than anything, the amazing texture of the wine.
When I ran across another bottle of this from a very reputable retailer, I bought it immediately. That was eight months ago. Tonight, I decided to open it, and have been following without decant.
The wine has all the characteristics that I remember; beautiful dark fruit, grounding spice and earth, wonderful depth, and that great texture. It’s every bit as good, and maybe then some.
I logged into CellarTracker to record my impressions. I was surprised to learn that the last time I had this wine, at that dinner with great friends, was nearly ten years ago.
Time flies.
March 26, 2017 - We loved this wine, it made our list of Most Memorable Reds. Big, smooth, a sophisticated fruit bomb. Wow!
January 28, 2017 - Remarkable stuff from a fairly terrific vintage
December 29, 2016 - Excellent wine still on the way up the hill. Good for at least another 10 years.