The 2009 Grenache explodes from the glass with layers of silky, expressive fruit. Most of the wine’s charms are in its up-front, juicy personality. Overall, I find a little less complexity and length than in the 2008, but some of that may be because the wine was only bottled four weeks before this tasting. There is an immediacy in the 2009 that should allow it to drink well upon release. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.
This is a fabulous set of wines from John and Lorraine Alban. Quite simply, I was blown away by what I tasted. As I noted last year, the whites are increasingly made in a more energetic style, not a bad thing as the fruit is already so expressive from the start. Over the years, a similar evolution has taken place with the reds. The inky, black color of the Syrahs is now gone. Today, Alban favors lengthy barrel aging for his top reds, a technique he compares to “braising” in cooking, which requires softer and gentler fermentations at the outset. Beginning around 2006, Alban started doing fewer pump overs and in general encourages longer, slower fermentations. The wines used to go into barrel with some sugar still left to ferment, while today they go in drier than in the past. Over the years, new oak levels have also come down. Most of the current releases are 2008s, a vintage Alban describes as characterized by a spring frost, drought and cloudy days with less heat and sunlight than is typically the case. Readers may want to check out my video interview with John Alban for more on current and upcoming vintages.
Tel. (805) 546-0305; www.albanvineyards.com
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