JEB DUNNUCK 97-99 POINTS - "Founded by John Alban in the mid-1980s, Alban Vineyards was the first estate in California dedicated exclusively to Rhône varieties and remains one of the world’s great wine estates. Based at the far end of the Edna Valley, it stands alone in the region, producing wines of a quality unmatched for miles in any direction. While vintages here sometimes echo the broader Central Coast, they just as often chart their own course, resulting in singular wines with a character all their own. A defining feature of the cellar is a long four-year élevage, which lends the wines their depth, exotic richness, and extraordinary ability to age."
"Sweet crème de cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, camphor, and graphite are just some of the nuances in the 2021 Syrah Lorraine, another absolutely compelling 2021 from Alban that's full-bodied, has a pure, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and incredible length. It has the classic elegance and voluptuous texture that this cuvée is known for and will be long-lived."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 95+ POINTS - "A visit to this highly respected estate in the Edna Valley (San Luis Obispo County) was long overdue, as Josh Raynolds most recently covered these wines in 2021. John Alban was a pioneering figure in the region in the early 1990s, hedging his bets on the potential for Rhône varieties to succeed in this maritime-influenced climate with geographic features that resembled the Rhône Valley. The wines quickly generated a cult following after early praise from Robert Parker. Alban Vineyards maintains a loyal roster of mailing list customers to this day that quickly snatch up the majority of the 6,000-or-so cases of wine produced here. John Alban is still heavily involved in winemaking but is now aided by son Jared."
"The 2021 Syrah Lorraine is a gorgeous wine with nary a hard edge in sight. It's all about texture. The 2021 offers powerful aromas of blackberry liqueur, macerated cherry, tobacco and sage. It's another explosive, opulent Syrah in this range, but its bound-up, seriously structured mid-palate points to a very bright future ahead. Forget about this one in the cellar for several years."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "This year's visit to Alban focused on revisiting the bottled 2021 site-designate Syrahs, all of which largely reflected my impressions from last year's barrel tasting, showcasing the classic power and textural richness of the property's ultra-low-yielding vines. This time, I met with Jared Alban, who is taking on an increasingly central role in both the cellar and the vineyards, and I look forward to seeing what his perspective may bring to the estate."
"As I wrote when tasting from barrel last year, the 2021 Syrah Lorraine is a measured and precise iteration of this punchy, full-bodied wine. While initially reticent and coiled on the nose, it reveals aromas of dark fruits, leather, cigar box and some tobacco leaf touches. Derived from sandstone soils on south-facing slopes, the texture is ethereal and light-footed despite its immense concentration, showing a balanced mix of weighty black fruits and red-fruited energy at this early stage. The tannin and acid structure is refined and understated, wrapping up a nuanced and intriguing centerpiece of the Alban roster."
"Sweet crème de cassis, black raspberries, spicy wood, camphor, and graphite are just some of the nuances in the 2021 Syrah Lorraine, another absolutely compelling 2021 from Alban that's full-bodied, has a pure, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and incredible length. It has the classic elegance and voluptuous texture that this cuvée is known for and will be long-lived."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 95+ POINTS - "A visit to this highly respected estate in the Edna Valley (San Luis Obispo County) was long overdue, as Josh Raynolds most recently covered these wines in 2021. John Alban was a pioneering figure in the region in the early 1990s, hedging his bets on the potential for Rhône varieties to succeed in this maritime-influenced climate with geographic features that resembled the Rhône Valley. The wines quickly generated a cult following after early praise from Robert Parker. Alban Vineyards maintains a loyal roster of mailing list customers to this day that quickly snatch up the majority of the 6,000-or-so cases of wine produced here. John Alban is still heavily involved in winemaking but is now aided by son Jared."
"The 2021 Syrah Lorraine is a gorgeous wine with nary a hard edge in sight. It's all about texture. The 2021 offers powerful aromas of blackberry liqueur, macerated cherry, tobacco and sage. It's another explosive, opulent Syrah in this range, but its bound-up, seriously structured mid-palate points to a very bright future ahead. Forget about this one in the cellar for several years."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "This year's visit to Alban focused on revisiting the bottled 2021 site-designate Syrahs, all of which largely reflected my impressions from last year's barrel tasting, showcasing the classic power and textural richness of the property's ultra-low-yielding vines. This time, I met with Jared Alban, who is taking on an increasingly central role in both the cellar and the vineyards, and I look forward to seeing what his perspective may bring to the estate."
"As I wrote when tasting from barrel last year, the 2021 Syrah Lorraine is a measured and precise iteration of this punchy, full-bodied wine. While initially reticent and coiled on the nose, it reveals aromas of dark fruits, leather, cigar box and some tobacco leaf touches. Derived from sandstone soils on south-facing slopes, the texture is ethereal and light-footed despite its immense concentration, showing a balanced mix of weighty black fruits and red-fruited energy at this early stage. The tannin and acid structure is refined and understated, wrapping up a nuanced and intriguing centerpiece of the Alban roster."
