North Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015

For the first 15 years of Alban Vineyards, John couldn’t afford to keep more than 20% of the fruit he raised. Chardonnay was an easy sell and suited to a broad spectrum of soils. As Alban Vineyards progressed and the contracts for the Chardonnay and Pinot lapsed, we were in a position to keep the blocks. They were methodically grafted and became the foundation for Patrina.

While North is not an Alban Vineyards’ wine, it is not really possible to tell the story of this label without acknowledging its roots. Many of you know that Alban Vineyards is the first American winery and vineyard to have been established exclusively for Rhone varieties. On the surface, the fact that once upon a time almost a fourth of the vineyards planted at Alban were either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay seems rather contradictory.