Alban Vineyards Forsythe Vineyard The Mason Mourvedre, Edna Valley, USA

奧爾本福賽斯園梅森慕合懷特干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：3731

The 2009 Forsythe possesses stunning depth and richness in its fruit, with no hard edges, soaring aromatics and awesome overall balance. It is simply dazzling from start to finish. In 2009 Forsythe is 100% Mourvedre, the first time that has been the case. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. (Not yet released)My visit with John and Lorraine Alban and winemaker Glenn Skrabanik was a highlight of the ten days I spent in the Central Coast. I tasted all of the 2008s and 2009 reds from barrel, plus the 2007s from bottle. Those lucky enough to visit the winery won-t see barrels ordered by conventional numbers, rather each series of barrels carries the names of thematic categories such as Kentucky Derby winners, Academy Award winners, etc. It is fair to say no one has done more for the Rhone Ranger movement in this country than John Alban. First and foremost, the Alban wines have led the way in terms of quality for many years. A founder of the hugely successful Hospice du Rhone, Alban has also planted and developed a number of clones that bear his name and that are used widely throughout California. For most of his early years Alban was forced to sell fruit from his property and rent out portions of his winery as a custom crush facility to make ends meet. Amazingly, after all these years 2011 is the first vintage in which Alban is not selling fruit and is vinifying only his own wines. Readers will find no shortage of compelling wines in vintages 2007-2009. The 2007s are big, powerful wines that show the opulence and weight of the year. Vintage 2007 was the first of three drought years that followed the generous 2005 and 2006 harvests. Alban gave his three top Syrahs a whopping 44 months in 100% new oak barrels. The 2008s are the product of a season marked by a spring frost. A blast of heat followed over Memorial Day, but the rest of the summer was relatively cool, with little sunlight because of the forest fires that year. As great as the 2007s are, I found myself equally drawn to the 2008s for their greater delineation and complex, multi-dimensional personalities. The 2009s are warm, radiant wines with silky, forward fruit and highly expressive aromatics. The 2008s and 2009s are still in barrel, though, so there is plenty of time to follow their evolution.Tel. (805) 546- 0305; www.albanvineyards.com

Perhaps the weakest effort in this portfolio, but still an outstanding wine is the 2008 Mourvedre Forsythe. Although it does not possess the profound depth of the 2007s, it remains one of the finest Mourvedres made in California. (Not yet released)Released this fall, after having spent 43 months in barrel. It is a great vintage for this winery, and fortunately there are decent quantities available, since 2006 was a far more abundant vintage than the three very tiny crop years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Syrahs of 2007 are again extraordinary. I am sure they will continue to become more concentrated and put on weight as they spend more time in barrel. The 2008s won’t be released for another few years, so I will only give some brief comments. To reiterate, there is no 2008 Seymour’s, and production is even smaller at Alban in 2008 than it was in 2007. I tasted through barrel samples of the 2009 Grenache, Mourvedre, and several Syrah cuvees, and this appears to be a flamboyant vintage with big fruit, lots of ripeness, heady alcohol, and a soft, luscious, up-front style. The 2009s will be even more flattering and charming than the 2008s.Rhone Ranger pioneer John Alban was one of the very first to recognize the potential of France’s Rhone Valley grapes planted on California’s Central Coast. He is essentially the lone wolf in the Edna Valley, so Alban sits at the summit of quality in this region. His wines are probably the most concentrated wines of all the major wines reviewed in this report, but there is much more to them than just pure brute concentration. These are wines with extraordinary aging potential. Going through the 1999s and 2000s that I had purchased from Alban, they are still incredibly young wines, and I think it’s safe to say, these are probably among the longest-lived Rhone Ranger wines being produced in California. The exception would be the white wines, which are best drunk in their exuberant youthfulness. Alban’s 2006s will be released this fall, after having spent 43 months in barrel. It is a great vintage for this winery, and fortunately there are decent quantities available, since 2006 was a far more abundant vintage than the three very tiny crop years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Syrahs of 2007 are again extraordinary. I am sure they will continue to become more concentrated and put on weight as they spend more time in barrel. The 2008s won’t be released for another few years, so I will only give some brief comments. To reiterate, there is no 2008 Seymour’s, and production is even smaller at Alban in 2008 than it was in 2007. I tasted through barrel samples of the 2009 Grenache, Mourvedre, and several Syrah cuvees, and this appears to be a flamboyant vintage with big fruit, lots of ripeness, heady alcohol, and a soft, luscious, up-front style. The 2009s will be even more flattering and charming than the 2008s.Tel. (805) 546-0305; Fax (805) 546-9879

A more recent addition to the portfolio at Alban is their 2007 Mourvedre Forsythe. This particular vintage, aged about 26 months in barrel, is a blend of 75% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, and the rest Syrah. This is the best Mourvedre-based wine in California. Inky bluish purple, with notes of anise, lavender, sweet black fruits, tobacco leaf, and incense, the wine is extraordinarily rich, powerful, full-bodied, yet remarkably silky. In short, this is an astonishing achievement for a Mourvedre-based wine. Since this is an anti-oxidant grape varietal, I would think this wine has at least 15-20 more years of life to it. (Not yet released)Released this fall, after having spent 43 months in barrel. It is a great vintage for this winery, and fortunately there are decent quantities available, since 2006 was a far more abundant vintage than the three very tiny crop years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Syrahs of 2007 are again extraordinary. I am sure they will continue to become more concentrated and put on weight as they spend more time in barrel. The 2008s won’t be released for another few years, so I will only give some brief comments. To reiterate, there is no 2008 Seymour’s, and production is even smaller at Alban in 2008 than it was in 2007. I tasted through barrel samples of the 2009 Grenache, Mourvedre, and several Syrah cuvees, and this appears to be a flamboyant vintage with big fruit, lots of ripeness, heady alcohol, and a soft, luscious, up-front style. The 2009s will be even more flattering and charming than the 2008s.Rhone Ranger pioneer John Alban was one of the very first to recognize the potential of France’s Rhone Valley grapes planted on California’s Central Coast. He is essentially the lone wolf in the Edna Valley, so Alban sits at the summit of quality in this region. His wines are probably the most concentrated wines of all the major wines reviewed in this report, but there is much more to them than just pure brute concentration. These are wines with extraordinary aging potential. Going through the 1999s and 2000s that I had purchased from Alban, they are still incredibly young wines, and I think it’s safe to say, these are probably among the longest-lived Rhone Ranger wines being produced in California. The exception would be the white wines, which are best drunk in their exuberant youthfulness. Alban’s 2006s will be released this fall, after having spent 43 months in barrel. It is a great vintage for this winery, and fortunately there are decent quantities available, since 2006 was a far more abundant vintage than the three very tiny crop years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Syrahs of 2007 are again extraordinary. I am sure they will continue to become more concentrated and put on weight as they spend more time in barrel. The 2008s won’t be released for another few years, so I will only give some brief comments. To reiterate, there is no 2008 Seymour’s, and production is even smaller at Alban in 2008 than it was in 2007. I tasted through barrel samples of the 2009 Grenache, Mourvedre, and several Syrah cuvees, and this appears to be a flamboyant vintage with big fruit, lots of ripeness, heady alcohol, and a soft, luscious, up-front style. The 2009s will be even more flattering and charming than the 2008s.Tel. (805) 546-0305; Fax (805) 546-9879

The black/blue-hued 2007 Forsythe (a blend of 80% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache) is the finest example to date of this offering. Aromas of blueberries, tree bark, spice box, lavender, and pepper are followed by a wine with no hardness or rusticity in the tannins, which is noteworthy for a Mourvedre-dominated offering. Clearly the fruit was picked at the peak of maturity. It is hard to know how it will age, but given Mourvedre’s anti-oxidant characteristics, it may keep for 30-40 years. (Not yet released)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. Still in barrel, the 2006 Syrahs, which will be bottled after 40 months of aging, are all remarkable wines that flirt with perfection.Tel. (805) 546-0305; Fax (805) 546-9879

There is only one barrel (about 25 cases) of the 2006 Forsythe, a blend of two-thirds Mourvedre and one-third Syrah. A smoky, meaty, intoxicating bouquet of barbecue spices, burning embers, blueberries, blackberries, tree bark, and fresh mushrooms is followed by a wine of great intensity. Somehow, the Albans have managed to tame the wild and rustic tannins provided by such a high percentage of Mourvedre. This sensational 2006 should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.The wines of John and Lorraine Alban are about as spectacular as one can find anywhere in the world. Alban is committed to aging his big Syrahs longer in barrel, believing it will concentrate the wines and add additional complexityTel. (805) 546-0305; Fax (805) 546-9879