2020 Alban Vineyards Patrina Syrah | Alban Estate Vineyard, Edna Valley AVA San Luis Obispo County California 750 ml

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 Patina, 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. | Alban Vineyards

...sports a deep purple hue as well as a massive bouquet of ripe darker berry fruits, peppery herbs, and violets. It's full-bodied, wonderfully textured, has ripe tannins, and is just a killer bottle of wine to drink over the coming 7-8 years. If you've never had a wine from Alban, give this a whirl. | 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com