2015 North - Pinot Noir Edna Valley North (750ml)

Alban Vineyards was founded in 1989 by John Alban, a pioneer of California's Rhone Rangers movement and one of the most influential producers of Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne in the state. North is his side project, a small-lot Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made from a single estate block. Alban named the vineyard North for its cool, shaded exposure, a nod he has said echoes his own roots in Northern Ireland.

Edna Valley is one of California's coolest wine regions, with a northwest-to-southeast orientation that funnels Pacific fog straight in from Los Osos and Morro Bay. The North block sits on the valley's calcareous and volcanic hillsides, its north-facing rows staying shaded and cool through the long growing season. That extra hang time lets the Pinot Noir build complexity slowly, and the wine is aged in a significant portion of new oak to match its natural depth and power.

The wine shows black cherry, plum, and cloves, laced with smoke, new leather, and a thread of licorice. Rich and dramatic in the glass, it balances real power with an elegant, graceful finish. Pour it with seared quail, cherry-glazed pork tenderloin, or a farmhouse cheese board.