WTN: 1998 Alban Reva Syrah

1998 Alban Reva Syrah

Color is almost black despite being 10 years old. Very full and dense in the mouth. Blue/black fruits and some hint of meat/bacon are overwhelmed by tar/burnt rubber/reductive features which simply would not blow off despite double decanting and more than 5 hours of air.

Alban garners big score in some quarters of the wine world, but it is a style that has no place at my table.

'Winger

1998 Alban Reva Syrah

Color is almost black despite being 10 years old. Very full and dense in the mouth. Blue/black fruits and some hint of meat/bacon are overwhelmed by tar/burnt rubber/reductive features which simply would not blow off despite double decanting and more than 5 hours of air.

That's too bad, Bill. I had the '96 edition of Reva earlier this year in Toledo, and it was quite drinkable and not out of place amongst all the Cornas. I have little experience with Alban's Syrahs, so can't tell you how typical this is, but I hear ya about the points.

Mark Lipton

1998 Alban Reva Syrah

Color is almost black despite being 10 years old. Very full and dense in the mouth. Blue/black fruits and some hint of meat/bacon are overwhelmed by tar/burnt rubber/reductive features which simply would not blow off despite double decanting and more than 5 hours of air.

That's too bad, Bill. I had the '96 edition of Reva earlier this year in Toledo, and it was quite drinkable and not out of place amongst all the Cornas. I have little experience with Alban's Syrahs, so can't tell you how typical this is, but I hear ya about the points.

Mark Lipton

Mark-
Well, I assure you this was no Cornas taste-alike even for the palate impaired such as myself.
BTW, for a brief moment, I thought the Boiler might have themselve a basketball team this year.
Wm.