2012 Colgin Cellars, Cariad, Napa Valley, Bottle (750ml)

RP98 "A close second (and who knows how they might perform at different times and with different foods) is the 2012 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine, made from grapes grown by David Abreu at his estate vineyards in Napa. This blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot shows notes of burning embers/charcoal, blackberry fruit, licorice and floral notes, followed by a full-bodied, dense, layered wine. It has great purity, wonderfully sweet, integrated tannin, and a voluptuous mouthfeel and finish of close to 50+ seconds. This is a stunner that can be drunk now or cellared for another 25-30 years." RP Nov 2015

AG97 "A dark, vibrant wine, the 2012 Cariad races out of the glass with serious intensity. The Cariad has a bit more acid and tannin backbone than the Tychson Hill, which gives the flavors a bit more energy and overall brightness to balance the opulence of the fruit. Graphite, spice and menthol notes flesh out on the finish. Cariad is sourced mostly from David Abreu's Madrona Ranch, with a dollop of fruit from Thorevilos. Historically, Cariad has aged exceptionally well, something that was driven home yet again by the 2002 I tasted on this visit." AG for VM Oct 2014

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 2012s, which I reviewed from bottle before, have gone from strength to strength at the top of the qualitative pyramid. 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