In 1989 John Alban pioneered California's first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône, a 250 acre ranch in San Luis Obispo in the Edna Valley. At the age of 24 he had fallen in love with a glass of Condrieu at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California. It had gradually dawned on him that the two big red grapes of the Rhône, Syrah and Grenache, were ideally suited to the climate of California. And so had begun Alban Vineyards amidst a process of furious vine propagation. Plantings of these varietals have exploded since then; Alban Vineyards provided a large proportion of the cuttings to enable Viognier acreage increase from zero to over 2,000 and that of Syrah from a few hundred to more than 17,000.
 The Central Coast Viognier is forward and fruity with notes of pear and and stone fruit. North County fruit brings rich texture and body while estate fruit adds floral notes, minerals and balancing acidity. It is 25% barrel fermented in a mixture of new and used French oak. The Estate Viognier continues a trend for which Alban strives: ever greater viscosity and weight whilst preserving acidity and freshness. A dense blend of apricot, honeysuckle, and wet stones, balancing body with purity. This was fermented entirely in French barrels by native yeasts.
 Reva is a single vineyard Syrah which is characterised by a beguiling approachability and a seductive richness. The 2004 has the tell-tale black fruits, pencil lead, chalk, and iodine that is quintessential Reva, all with a great deal of composure. It is aged 17 months in French barrels. Lorraine sees an additional six months in oak. It comes from a number of rows of vines in the Reva vineyard that Alban has long since identified as producing superior fruit. This wine is always characterised by soft and silky tannins and graphite infused gulps of rich black fruit.
 A human dynamo, John Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated.