91-94 Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Moving on to the wines tasted from barrel, the 2012 Viognier Estate will be another outstanding wine from John. Decadent, rich and voluptuous, with gorgeous purity, medium to full-body and good overall acidity, it’s made in the rich, decadent style of Viognier that I love. It’s not a wine to age and should be consumed in its first 2-3 years of life. Drink 2015-2017.

Located at the very southern end of the Edna Valley and residing in its own little micro climate, Alban Vineyards, under the guidance of John Alban, is a reference point for Rhone varieties in the world today. Looking at the vintages reviewed here, both 2009 and 2010 are strong, with the 2009s possessing plenty of sweet fruit and relatively approachable profiles, and the 2010s showing slightly more structure, with lively acidity and big frames that will fill in once bottled. As is common with John’s Syrahs, these continue to gain in richness and depth as they mature in barrel (they see upwards of 4 years in barrel) and really don’t show all of their material and richness until 4-5 years after the vintage. In addition to his single vineyard Syrahs, I was blown away by his Mourvedre-dominated Forsythe and the Grenache-heavy Pandora (which comes from a single plot of chalky soils). Both are up near the pinnacle of what’s coming out of California today and should not be missed."