Citrus rind and beeswax on the nose. Very floral. Leads with lemon oil, preserved apricot and nectarines. Chalky minerality but the acidity was dialed way down - the bottle was soft almost erring on flabby.
Maybe a slightly off bottle, maybe the wine is advancing quicker than anticipated, maybe a dumb phase? The Alban Syrahs are outstanding, this is the first meh bottle I've encountered. I have two more so I'll find out in the next few years.
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Pale yellow/gold. Fabulous legs. Lovely rich honeyed nose with just a hint of austerity to freshen it. Wonderful intensity on the palate with good weight. Seamless across the palate combining its exotic fruit with nicely integrated acidity, lovely balance. Good length. Excellent.
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Peach, apple, lemon peel, honeydew melon, hazelnut and ginger aromas and flavors. Creamy with a very long finish. Nice acidic balance. Served with flounder en parchment.
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Condrieu lookalike with maybe a touch more richness. Served at cellar temperature. In a great place now after a short decant. Probably no rush but no reason to wait either.
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SO'd for an hour, beautiful white flower nose like a great Condrieu, peach and lemon on the palate, but seems to have improved since last bottle; outstanding, drink or hold
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A recommendation from Rhone Who and while I didn’t go as crazy over this (99? I have never rated anything 99) it is a very nice wine. Less subtle than a Condrieu (the obvious comparison) but still a delicious nectar. Elegant stone fruits and a fantastic finish. I wish I had tried with Sushi as Rhone Who suggests, it was slightly over powered by our stirfry, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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Oh la la! 2019 vintage is simply brilliant and decadent! The finest and richest viognier I have come across from California and Condrieu since 2015. The quality has increasingly become singular in the last few vintages, especially 2018 has caught my attention (and see my 2020 review).
It has a rich perfume of cameralized French tarte tatin intermixed with ripe summer white fruits (peach/nectarine) and floral. The mouth feel is opulent and velvety brilliantly masking its underlying back-bone of minerality, salinity and acidity. The flavor is so enjoyable that it can be enjoyed drinking on its own and can pair up with delicate sushi/sashimi.
Both 2019 and 2020 are great vintages; and appeals to different stylistic preference. 2019 is like those ripe-year Condrieu with California decadence twist (caramelized French tarte tatin); whereas 2020 is more poise, finesse and subtle. Can't wait to line up 2020 and 2015 Guigal La Dorian side by side with Alban 2019 and 2020 next year. Stay tuned. I can totally understand why JD rated it 99 pt highest ever.
Rating: 97-100; 98+ with additional 3 years cellar aging to get more integration and suppleness. Applicable within Rhone blanc reference; ratings are not comparable to other whites (chardonnay, riesling, etc).
Same tasting notes as last time , but the pairing was a squash soup with some pear. I know it sounds odd, but the soup was great and the wine paired beautifully !
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Nose of honeysuckle, nectarine, lemon peel, hazelnut and wet stones. Palate mirrors the nose. Ripe and creamy with a very long finish. Well balanced acidity. Served with New Orleans barbecue shrimp.
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"Imposter Night" (Los Olivos, CA): Served blind alongside a 2013 Cuilleron, with the idea being to fool the group as to which one was the authentic Condrieu. Delicious in its own right, but nobody placed this as being the "authentic" version (most preferred it, though). Oddly cloudy, but clean and fresh on the palate, blending citrus and apricot notes with honeyed melon and some spice.
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White flowers, nectarine, lemon zest, tangerine peel and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Rich and creamy mid-palate. Long soft, dry finish. Well balanced. Served with Coquilles Saint-Jacques.
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Upgraded my score because it's even better on day two. Rich beeswax base underlies peach, orange rind, honey, and tropical fruit flavors. Floral with modest minerality. A provocative wine. Viognier is not my favorite white grape, but I really enjoy this rendition.
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Slightly chilled, popped and poured. Super early on this wine as this vintage is very acidic. Leave these for a year in the cellar to tame down a bit. High acid on the tip of my tongue. White peach and mild honeysuckle, pear and apricot on the palate. Clear light yellow color. I am so fortunate to know of these wines. Thanks Pete! . . . . #WineArchitect, #ArchitecturalArtistry, #albanvineyards, #ednavalley2019, #rhoneranger
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Definitely much better on day 2. Probably could have used a decant yesterday - seemed a little hot on the finish. Much closer to what I expected from this wine today.
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Popped and poured. Aromatic nose of citrus peel, flowers, some minerality. Full and rich on the palate, some phenolic bitterness on the finish. Perfect pairing with Asian stir fry.
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Served at cellar temperature. Well, talk about viscosity. Fairly cloudy in the glass and you can taste that too. Loads of waxiness on both the nose and the palate. Initially a fairly clinical nose but opens up to a load of mango, peaches and passion fruit. Good mineral core, very pleasant on its own but a great match with a green curry.
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3/22/2024 - rustyRudy wrote:
Light yellow with a hint of gold. Okay just must not be my thing
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12/22/2023 - bhrubin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice acidity and zesty fruit, good finish
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7/24/2023 - Ewhite30 wrote:
Citrus rind and beeswax on the nose. Very floral. Leads with lemon oil, preserved apricot and nectarines. Chalky minerality but the acidity was dialed way down - the bottle was soft almost erring on flabby.
Maybe a slightly off bottle, maybe the wine is advancing quicker than anticipated, maybe a dumb phase? The Alban Syrahs are outstanding, this is the first meh bottle I've encountered. I have two more so I'll find out in the next few years.
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7/4/2023 - chrisdgsmith@hotmail.co.uk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale yellow/gold. Fabulous legs. Lovely rich honeyed nose with just a hint of austerity to freshen it. Wonderful intensity on the palate with good weight. Seamless across the palate combining its exotic fruit with nicely integrated acidity, lovely balance. Good length. Excellent.
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5/5/2023 - kirbo1967 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic wine. Great weight and complete flavor profile. Adding some age really improved the wine. It probably had another 5 years on it.
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3/3/2023 - Countless Likes this wine:
Same note as before. Still going strong.
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1/22/2023 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Peach, apple, lemon peel, honeydew melon, hazelnut and ginger aromas and flavors. Creamy with a very long finish. Nice acidic balance. Served with flounder en parchment.
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12/20/2022 - Countless Likes this wine: 95 Points
Condrieu lookalike with maybe a touch more richness. Served at cellar temperature. In a great place now after a short decant. Probably no rush but no reason to wait either.
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9/14/2022 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
SO'd for an hour, beautiful white flower nose like a great Condrieu, peach and lemon on the palate, but seems to have improved since last bottle; outstanding, drink or hold
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9/10/2022 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Floral on the nose and unctuous body with medium long finish. Best warmer than fridge temp. Prob 45-50 with an hour of air.
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3/21/2022 - Decanting Queen wrote: 92 Points
A recommendation from Rhone Who and while I didn’t go as crazy over this (99? I have never rated anything 99) it is a very nice wine. Less subtle than a Condrieu (the obvious comparison) but still a delicious nectar. Elegant stone fruits and a fantastic finish. I wish I had tried with Sushi as Rhone Who suggests, it was slightly over powered by our stirfry, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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3/20/2022 - RhoneWho wrote: 98 Points
Oh la la! 2019 vintage is simply brilliant and decadent! The finest and richest viognier I have come across from California and Condrieu since 2015. The quality has increasingly become singular in the last few vintages, especially 2018 has caught my attention (and see my 2020 review).
It has a rich perfume of cameralized French tarte tatin intermixed with ripe summer white fruits (peach/nectarine) and floral. The mouth feel is opulent and velvety brilliantly masking its underlying back-bone of minerality, salinity and acidity. The flavor is so enjoyable that it can be enjoyed drinking on its own and can pair up with delicate sushi/sashimi.
Both 2019 and 2020 are great vintages; and appeals to different stylistic preference. 2019 is like those ripe-year Condrieu with California decadence twist (caramelized French tarte tatin); whereas 2020 is more poise, finesse and subtle. Can't wait to line up 2020 and 2015 Guigal La Dorian side by side with Alban 2019 and 2020 next year. Stay tuned. I can totally understand why JD rated it 99 pt highest ever.
Rating: 97-100; 98+ with additional 3 years cellar aging to get more integration and suppleness.
Applicable within Rhone blanc reference; ratings are not comparable to other whites (chardonnay, riesling, etc).
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1/5/2022 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same tasting notes as last time , but the pairing was a squash soup with some pear. I know it sounds odd, but the soup was great and the wine paired beautifully !
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12/11/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
SO'd for an hour, beautiful white flower nose, peach and lemon on the palate; outstanding, drink or hold
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11/28/2021 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Nose of honeysuckle, nectarine, lemon peel, hazelnut and wet stones. Palate mirrors the nose. Ripe and creamy with a very long finish. Well balanced acidity. Served with New Orleans barbecue shrimp.
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11/10/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
"Imposter Night" (Los Olivos, CA): Served blind alongside a 2013 Cuilleron, with the idea being to fool the group as to which one was the authentic Condrieu. Delicious in its own right, but nobody placed this as being the "authentic" version (most preferred it, though). Oddly cloudy, but clean and fresh on the palate, blending citrus and apricot notes with honeyed melon and some spice.
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11/3/2021 - brasstab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stone fruit and citrus, wrapped in apricot pie. Better a little warmer, too.
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10/31/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
White flowers, nectarine, lemon zest, tangerine peel and hazelnut aromas and flavors. Rich and creamy mid-palate. Long soft, dry finish. Well balanced. Served with Coquilles Saint-Jacques.
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9/25/2021 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lucious mouthfeel with long finish, medium to heavy body
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9/10/2021 - cdebeau Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine with absolutely sumptuous mouthfeel! Fuller bodied than other Viognier in my experience.
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8/13/2021 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really nice, all lemon, almond and citrus
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8/13/2021 - rustyRudy Likes this wine:
Light lemon yellow, white flowers, lemongrass marzipan peach and subtle honey on the citrusy finish.
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7/26/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Upgraded my score because it's even better on day two. Rich beeswax base underlies peach, orange rind, honey, and tropical fruit flavors. Floral with modest minerality. A provocative wine. Viognier is not my favorite white grape, but I really enjoy this rendition.
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7/24/2021 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
White flowers, peach, lemon peel and hazelnut. Very long finish. Well balanced. Served with grilled spicy shrimp and Mexican street corn.
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7/12/2021 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Luscious white with honey dipped almond melons. Really nice.
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6/12/2021 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slightly chilled, popped and poured. Super early on this wine as this vintage is very acidic. Leave these for a year in the cellar to tame down a bit. High acid on the tip of my tongue. White peach and mild honeysuckle, pear and apricot on the palate. Clear light yellow color. I am so fortunate to know of these wines. Thanks Pete!
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#WineArchitect, #ArchitecturalArtistry, #albanvineyards, #ednavalley2019, #rhoneranger
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5/15/2021 - WineGalDT Likes this wine:
Definitely much better on day 2. Probably could have used a decant yesterday - seemed a little hot on the finish. Much closer to what I expected from this wine today.
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4/15/2021 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Aromatic nose of citrus peel, flowers, some minerality. Full and rich on the palate, some phenolic bitterness on the finish. Perfect pairing with Asian stir fry.
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3/28/2021 - bavaur wrote: 92 Points
Served at cellar temperature. Well, talk about viscosity. Fairly cloudy in the glass and you can taste that too. Loads of waxiness on both the nose and the palate. Initially a fairly clinical nose but opens up to a load of mango, peaches and passion fruit. Good mineral core, very pleasant on its own but a great match with a green curry.
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