John Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated. Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
The 2010 Patrina boasts gorgeously pure aromatics of cassis, raspberry, flowers and spice, full-bodied richness and an overall layered, fresh profile that’s hard to resist.
It offers a rare and affordable glimpse into the craft of one of the Central Coast’s most enduring pioneers of Rhone varieties.