Alban Vineyards, Edna Valley (San Luis Obispo County, California) Viognier 2021

 I recently caught up with John Alban and tasted barrel samples of a few reds.  While I don’t rate wines still in barrel, I did taste this Estate Viognier from the bottle. And, oh my, it did not disappoint.  The Estate bottling of Viognier is the culmination of Alban’s 30+ years of fine-tuning this variety in the vineyards and cellar.  This 2021 was barrel fermented with native yeasts and bottled unfined and unfiltered.  It has great concentration and displays assertive apricot and ripe peach aromas with a touch of honeysuckle.  On the palate, it is rich, big bodied and well structured.  The flavors highlight apricot fruit with a hint of oak and a mineral note in the long finish.  It sets the Viognier bar really high and should develop well for at least 5 years and reach a peak around 2030.