Alban Vineyards’ 2021 Patrina Syrah is a Central Coast red built around Syrah with a measured lift from Viognier: the blend is **90% Syrah and 10% Viognier**, sourced from **Edna Valley** in San Luis Obispo County. It’s made under winemaker **John Alban**, with a production figure reported at **about 4,000 cases**. The winery positions Patrina as a house expression rather than a single-vineyard statement, drawing from blocks “not tied to a single ‘place,’” but shaped by Alban’s established approach in the cellar.

That approach is hands-on but not heavy-handed. The wine is **open-top fermented with indigenous yeast**, using **gentle pump-overs and a few punch-downs**, then raised in **60% new French oak** before being **bottled unfined and unfiltered in March 2024**. Reported barrel time varies by source, but the intent is clear: a structured, aromatic Syrah that still reads as polished.

Critics largely agree the 2021 is a strong release, with several excellent reviews. **Wine Spectator (94 points)** calls it “**plump and polished**,” highlighting “**sleekly layered black raspberry flavors**” with accents of “**dark chocolate, savory meat and cracked pepper**,” and notes a long finish; the magazine suggests it will drink well **through 2033**. **Jeb Dunnuck also awarded 94 points**, reinforcing the wine’s high standing among contemporary Central Coast Syrahs (tasting details were not provided in the supplied material). **Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (92 points)** describes a more earthy register—**black and purple fruits** alongside “**charcoal dust, leather, and dusty gravel**”—and corroborates the Viognier co-ferment and new-oak regimen.

Taken together, the 2021 Patrina reads as a ripe, savory, confidently oaked Syrah with clear pepper-and-meat complexity, built for near-term enjoyment but with enough stuffing to carry into the next decade.