2018 IX Proprietary Red Wine
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Tasting Notes
Colgin’s IX Estate vineyard is an east-facing site on Pritchard Hill. The Cabernet Sauvignon grown on these volcanic soils is full of minerality and freshness, producing structured wines with huge ageing potential. The aromatic complexity of the IX Estate from Colgin in 2018 is exemplary. Bloody, iodine notes mingle with violets, blueberry, bay, sage, lavender and rosemary aromas. There is a wonderful botanical, perfumed scent to the wine and a smokiness too. On the palate there is serious structure, yet while the tannins are concentrated, they remain fine, building a fantastic framework on the palate. Earthy blackcurrant, black cherry and blueberry fruit is fleshy and hugely concentrated with bitter dark chocolate notes, but never swerving into sweetness. This has a distinctly savoury character, tempering the richness of fruit. The perfumed scent continues right through to the long mineral finish. This is an epic wine that will age majestically.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Another perfect wine, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Estate is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, all from the estate on Pritchard Hill. A monster of a wine that needs serious bottle age, it reveals a dense purple hue as well as a mineral-drenched bouquet of pure crème de cassis, charcoal, spring flowers, tobacco, and earth. Just incredible on the palate, it’s full-bodied and flawlessly balanced, with remarkable purity and a finish that won’t quit. Cabernet – or red wine for that matter – doesn’t get any better! It needs a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. but this legendary wine will see its 50th birthday in fine form.
The 2018 IX Estate is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black colored, it needs a little coaxing to reveal earth and mineral scents of iron ore, tilled soil, forest floor and truffles with ripe red and black currants, kirsch, Black Forest cake and mulberries plus nuances of tar, lilacs and Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and exhilarating freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit. Mineral and savory accents linger long into the epic finish. A thought-provoking, pensive, mesmerizing wine.
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About the producer
Colgin has been producing some of the finest Cabernet blends in Napa Valley since its first vintage in 1992. Within just 13 years, it was recognised as one of the top 50 wine estates in the world by Robert Parker.