Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2002 Pandora (a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah) boasts explosive notes of kirsch liqueur, a dense ruby/purple color, considerable elegance, wonderful sweetness as well as ripeness, and a superb 55-second finish. Arguably the finest Pandora produced by John Alban to date...
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Wine Spectator
Dark, saturated color, with exotic aromas of crushed blackberry, black cherry and blueberry fruit that's intense and concentrated, with an underlying core of chewy, dusty tannins. Not for the faint of heart, this wine shows how good Grenache can be. Contains 15 percent Syrah.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.