2016 Pandora Alban Estate

The small production at Alban ensures that the top bottlings are extremely hard to come by, but there is a decent amount of their entry-level bottlings, the Central Coast Viognier and Patrina Syrah, to go around. And it’s probably a little disingenuous to call them “entry-level,” as their consistently high level of quality places them solidly in the upper tier of California wines, regardless of price. John Alban is one of the most patient winemakers I know when it comes to getting his wines into bottle and onto the market only at the time he deems them ready, disregarding external pressures. These have always been rich, powerful wines, but in recent vintages I have detected a greater degree of elegance and detail, even in hot years, which is all to the better.