2008 Alban Vineyards "Patrina" Central Coast Syrah

According to Robert Parker: "One of the pioneers of world-class Rhone varietal-based wines produced in California’s Central Coast, John Alban had the courage and foresight to plant Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, and more recently, Mourvedre, in a region where no one else believed these grapes would thrive. His wines offer off-the-chart levels of concentration, and many of them are capable of lasting three to four decades. These flavor-filled wines are all made from frightfully low yields, and are now being given extremely long aging in barrel, the top Syrah cuvees spending 36-40 months in barrel. The results are wines that are nearly beyond belief in terms of richness and density. These are true artisanal wines meant for long-term cellaring that should only be purchased by patient connoisseurs who are able to defer their gratification for 8-10 years." (08/09)