2013 Alban Syrah Seymour's Vineyard

Vivid purple. Smoke- and spice-accented black and blue fruit, floral pastille, incense and cola aromas are complicated by an exotic Indian spice overtone. Palate-staining cherry, black currant, violet and spicecake flavors are lifted and sharpened by a spine of juicy acidity. Gains flesh and weight with air while maintaining vivacity, and finishes alluringly sweet and extremely long, displaying persistent floral and spice notes and harmonious, slow-mounting tannins.

There's not much of the 2013 Syrah Seymour’s Vineyard to go around (100 cases), but it's another sensational wine. Black raspberries, cassis, licorice, chalky minerality and smoke all emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with a wealth of fruit and texture. Showing awesome violet aromas and flavors, it's unquestionably the most approachable vintage of this cuvee I've tasted. It's already a joy to drink, in a primary sort of way, but will be at its best from 2020 to 2040. If I had to come up with a list of the greatest wine estates in the world, Alban Vineyards would certainly be in there. Readers need to understand that this estate is an anomaly, lying at the very end of the Edna Valley, and the only estate in 50+ miles making wines of this quality. Vintages here marginally track the larger Central Coast theme, yet not always. These are singular wines. John commented that he thinks 2015 is a step down over 2012, 2013 and 2014, but that it’s better than 2011. I only tasted his whites, but like everyone else in 2015, his yields were decimated, so there’s very little of these to go around. I report on the red from barrel next year. His 2014s are all terrific as well, with full-bodied, ripe, classic Alban Style. Where this estate doesn’t track with the rest of the Central Coast is with his 2013s and 2012s; in general, the 2012s are the sexier, more open-knit, and the 2013s more concentrated and structure. In John’s case, the vintages are reversed, with the 2012s showing more structure and the 2013s just packed with sweet fruit. As I’ve written in the past, for the life of me, I can’t understand why no one else in the Edna Valley tries to make wine anywhere close to this level of quality.

Inky purple. Explosively perfumed scents of dark berry liqueur, cherry compote, candied licorice and woodsmoke pick up exotic Indian spice and olive paste accents with air. Juicy, supple and alluringly sweet on the palate, offering vibrant blackberry, blueberry and cherry cola flavors lifted and sharpened by zesty acidity. Shows impressive depth and power on the finish, which features velvety tannins and a late kick of peppery spices.