Grapes: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot.

Since 1992 Colgin Cellars has been making a name for themselves and for Napa as one of the try pioneers of hand-crafted wines from California. Operating out of their three hillside vineyards up on the legendary Pritchard hill, they are known for their small but incredibly high quality releases.

Their “IX Estate” is a powerful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. This is a wine of great power with towering aromatics of dark fruits, savory herbs, and spice. First produced in 2002, “IX Estate” can be enjoyed in youth and ages gracefully for years to come.

Intense aromatics abound in the 2021, revealing a soulful wine with an immense sense of place. Notes of raspberry, plum and cocoa lace together with IX Estate’s telltale nose of sage, juniper, and crushed rock. Potpourri and iron subtly accent the wine’s deeper flavors. Finely polished tannins, with their velvety mouthfeel, meld with the wine’s salivating and succulent sensibility. Structured, yet juicy, the 2021 echoes the finesse of the greatest of vintages.

Winemaker: Allison Tauziet

Robert Parker: 99 Points