2018 Alban Syrah Seymour's Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Deep ruby-purple, the 2018 Syrah Seymour's Vineyard features intense cassis fruit with accents of cracked pepper, menthol, bitter chocolate, garrigue and lavender—there's a compelling density and purity to these aromatics. The palate is concentrated and powerful yet powdery and seamless, slowly opening its floral and peppery layers. Long and elegant yet very tightly wound, it's a world-class Syrah with tremendous aging potential. This will be released in the spring of 2023.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Lastly, and another perfect wine, the 2018 Syrah Seymour's is a tiny production release (bottled only in magnum) that comes from a windswept, higher elevation vineyard of very thin soils. It's always the most structured and powerful of the trio of Syrah, and the 2018 is no exception, offering an incredible array of cassis, blackcurrants, smoky earth, cured meats, and liquid violets. It reminds me of the 2015 Côte Rôtie La Turque from Guigal with its pure, masculine, meaty Syrah character and is full-bodied, perfectly balanced, and lengthy. It's just insanely good, although not for those looking for instant gratification. It deserves 5-6 years of bottle age and will evolve for decades if stored properly. It’s clear that Alban has another truly special vintage on their hands with these 2018s, and these might be the finest wines I’ve tasted from this estate. Reminding me slightly of the 2016s, these aren’t massive, over-the-top wines, and they excel every bit as much for their purity, balance, and elegance as they do for their richness and texture. The 2019s also showed well, and those will be reviewed from bottle next year. As I hope these reviews show, I don’t think anyone is doing Rhône varieties better.
Glass-staining violet. Suave, mineral- and spice-accented blackberry, cherry liqueur and pungent floral scents show fine definition and energetic lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering sharply detailed black and blue fruit, candied violet and exotic spice flavors that turn deeper as the wine stretches out. Finishes extremely long and spicy, with intense mineral thrust, repeating floral and cherry notes and youthful, firming tannins.