WineTalking.com

(92 pts.) – Tasted 7/29/2010.

un peu déçu et attendais plus de ce vin très bien noté. Moins d’opulence que d’autres 2003, beau nez complexe, fruits noirs, prune, bouche plus serrée, un peu court, trop jeune ? (89 pts.) – Tasted 7/28/2010.

Light ruby collie clear in the glass sour cherry and slightly raspberry on the nose. Complex palate showing smoky oak, cherry raspberry balanced tannins overall a silky and smooth wine – Tasted 7/27/2010.

Hmmmm, …Alban. Is this it? A new bottling, a new name below the masthead, what do we got here? I’m confused, this is like no other Alban I’ve ever tasted–so different. I miss the intensity that Alban usually offers up. And, is that cheap oak (say it ain’t so). Mr Buzz said this was a replacement for the old ‘Central Coast’ bottling, hmpf, I dunno know. My last experience with ‘Central Coast’ was the 02 ~3 weeks ago and it screamed Alban, all the way. This bottling is not giving it to me. Not my fave Alban, but here’s my take: nose: pure, strait-up, black olive syray-ness. a kiss of oak around the edges to soften things up a bit.
mouth: Un-mistakenly Alban in the mouth with beautiful tannin structure (how does he do it?). Still on the palate, this just doesn’t deliver the goods we are all used to from John. The fruit is sweet, but where’s the red fruit we love in the Reva or Lorraine? Not there. Arrgh. A great entry level Syrah for Alban, but certainly not what we Alban-philes are used to. There’s still a long way to go my friends (89 pts.) – Tasted 7/26/2010.

Tasted at EBW. 30% new oak. Fresh red fruit, floral, cinnamon/spice, earth. Good tannic structure, med acid, med body. Balanced. Similar to elegant US Pinots like Rusack 2007 SBC and Evesham Wood 2008. Structure may yield aging upside not found in US Pinots, but also priced accordingly. – Tasted 7/25/2010.

Top Malnec qualities. Smooth and complex. Great nose and wonderful mid-palate, relatively light, but pleasant finish. Actually drank a 2009 vintage, but adding this comment via Cor.kz and can’t see how to add a vintage. (90 pts.) – Tasted 7/24/2010.

(90 pts.) – Tasted 7/23/2010.

Tasted on 7/22/2010 Inky purple color fading to brick red on the rim; dusty nose with cherry pie, vanilla, dark chocolate, and spice; a delicious warm cherry flavor carried the palate with a peppery vanilla finish; medium finish. I had a hard time trying to figure out the cherry flavor. Then I started thinking about this cherry cobbler we had at the dining hall at UT – and it hit me. The warm cherry flavor is very reminiscent of baked cherries – delicious. Would like it more if it had more tannins and a little more complex of a palate. – Tasted 7/22/2010.

Hmm, svær at bedømme, da den først sÃ¥ smÃ¥t Ã¥bnede for sluserne ved sidste glas. Burde have været dekanteret. Sidste glas var til gengæld lovende, men de første par glas var ren syre og sødme, hvilket til gengæld var i fin balance. – Tasted 7/21/2010.

Just the way it should be…previous bottle was not up to par… (89 pts.) – Tasted 7/20/2010.