2013 Colgin Cellars, IX Estate Red, Napa Valley, Case of 6 btls

RP100 "Another perfect wine from Ann Colgin and her winemaking team is the 2013 IX Proprietary Red Estate, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. An absolutely compelling wine, with notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and cassis, it has the full smorgasbord of black and blue fruits, wonderfully integrated, toasty oak, acidity and tannin, a floral note that is unmistakable, and great richness, density and purity. It is an utterly exceptional wine and a tribute to not only a great vineyard, but impeccable winemaking and upbringing." RP Oct 2015

JD100 " I probably would have rated the 2012 IX Estate a triple-digit score if it hadn’t been followed by this otherworldly 2013 IX Estate. One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, this insanely good effort offers a complex, layered bouquet of darker currants, white truffle, iron, tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil. Possessing more than a passing resemblance to the 2009 Château Latour, it’s full-bodied, has a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It doesn’t get any better, and this legendary Napa Valley red can be drunk any time over the coming three decades or more." JD Feb 2023

LP100 "Deep garnet-black in color, the 2013 IX Estate needs a LOT of swirling to begin to bring out notes of beef dripping, charcuterie, garrigue, mossy tree bark, and black truffles, giving way to a muted core of stewed plums, blackcurrant pastilles, candied violets, and dried mulberries. The full-bodied palate explodes with a powerhouse of black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and multilayered. It needs time!" LPB for TWI Jun 2023

Robert Parker writes, "This is an incredible lineup of wines from Ann Colgin, her winemaker Allison Tauziet and Bordeaux winemaking consultant Dr. Alain Raynaud. Of course, they have David Abreu, the superstar of viticulturalists, looking after their vineyards which, based on those I’ve seen at Tychson Hill and the IX Estate, are meticulously and fastidiously maintained as well as drop-dead beautiful terroirs. The 2013s had just been bottled, so I was blown away by how amazingly they performed. Of course, 2012 was a great vintage, but 2013, as I’ve already indicated, is probably the finest vintage for Bordeaux varietals I’ve ever tasted in my 37 years of experience in Napa Valley." Published: Oct 29 2015