2014 | Colgin | Cariad

A big, rich, deep and caressing style, with wonderful textural nuances that smooth out the chewy dark berry, graphite, gravel and black licorice flavors. Most impressive on the finish, which sails along, gaining depth and persistence.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2014 Proprietary Red Cariad, which is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon but also contains important percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is made from purchased fruit from David Abreu’s vineyard holdings on Howell Mountain and in St. Helena. This wine offers loads of unsmoked cigar tobacco, melted licorice, charcoal embers, blackberry and mulberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning intensity, impressive equilibrium, and well-integrated acidity and tannin. It is another beauty, obviously coming from first-growth terroirs. This should drink beautifully for 20-25 years.

• James Suckling: The aromas of iodine, oyster shells and mushrooms turn to blackberries. Full body, polished tannins and a plush, velvety texture. Gorgeous length and tension. Aftertaste turns to leaves, forest floor and blackberries. Salty and savory. Wow.

Producer Information

Colgin Cellars is one of California's so-called "cult" wineries, founded by Ann Colgin in 1992. She produced some of her early vintages from vineyards at the foot of the Howell Mountains in Napa Valley, before purchasing land on the Tychson Hill and hiring famed viticulturalist David Abreu to plant her vineyards. Today Colgin produces wines that are mostly based on Cabernet Sauvignon and regularly score 100-point ratings from Robert Parker. Colgin produces wines from three different areas of St Helena: Tychson Hill Vineyard, Cariad Vineyards and the IX estate vineyards, the latter of which the borders the Colgin winery. The Tychson Hill Vineyards were originally planted in 1881 by the first female vintner in Napa, Josephine Tychson. The original vines were pulled during Prohibition and, in 1997, Colgin replanted the vineyards with a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The vines are grown on volcanic soils on the slopes of the Tychson Hill. The Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon vintages 2002, 2012 and most recently the 2013 have perfect scores from Robert Parker, with the critic comparing the wines to a hypothetical blend of the finest Pauillac and Napa Valley wines. The Cariad Vineyards encompass three main plots – the Madrona Ranch, Howell Mountain and Thorevilos – and are owned and managed by David Abreu. The Cariad Red Wine is produced from a blend of grapes from these three vineyards, usually Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The IX estate vineyards, also known as the number nine estate, form an eight-hectare (20-acre) plot on a broad slope of the St Helena hill. The vines are spread over both low- and high-altitude plots atop of rich volcanic soils. The IX estate red wine comes from these vines and is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013 vintages have been awarded 100-point ratings by Robert Parker, with the remaining vintages all scoring 90 or more. The IX estate Syrah is also made from grapes grown in these estate vineyards. The vines are from cuttings that have their origins in the Northern Rhône, more specifically from the Côte Rotie and Hermitage regions. The wines are all aged in 100-percent new oak, the barrels of which are from Taransaud in the Cognac region of France.

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