Alban Vineyards - Patrina Estate Syrah 2020
Price: $59.99
Producer | Alban Vineyards |
Country | United States |
Region | Edna Valley |
Varietal | Syrah |
Vintage | 2020 |
Sku | 31679 |
Alban Vineyards Description
Patrin is a Roma word for leaf and grass blades. We wanted a romani association for this wine because it is not a wine from a ‘place’ so much as one shaped by us; our traditions and joys. The Roma have a very strong and romantic culture, but they are not tied to any particular location.
By mounding up patrin in specific configurations called Patrina, Romani mark secret trails that their comrades can follow to special gathering places. Under the right circumstances, Patrina lead these kindred spirits to wonderful celebrations underscored by wine and song.
Our vineyards are a patchwork of isolated soil types that you may recognize as Reva, Lorraine, Seymour’s and Pandora (very much wines of a place). Between and in route to these well healed sites are vineyards that are not so obviously distinct. We have blended these disparate and ‘disenfranchised’ blocks into a single wine we call Patrina. Like the Romani trails from which Patrina derives its name, we hope these bottles lead you to some great merriment, or more.
While the grapes for Patrina are raised with the same detail and attentiveness as the rest of our vineyards, and then fermented open top with indigenous yeast, gentle pump overs and a few punch downs once soft, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered after ‘just’ 22 months in barrel to preserve its youthful exuberance. All the density and concentration folks have come to expect from our reds with black and blue fruits, mineral notes, and flowers.
Wine Advocate: 95-97 Points
Still in barrel, the 2020 Syrah Patrina is youthfully lush and hedonistic, the nose loaded with wild berry jam scents and touches of iron, aniseed and orange peel. The stunning palate balances concentration and detail and is supported by powdery tannins and exuberant freshness, offering notable purity and length at this stage. "There was big-time sorting this vintage and a lot of selection before we even picked," John Alban says. The 2020 Patrina is fairly representative of the final wine, having been assembled and racked once. It is due to be bottled in January of 2023 and released in the spring.
Published: Dec 08, 2022