Colgin IX Estate 2015

Colgin Cellars is the brain child of Ann Colgin.  As a vintner, an art collector, and an avid philanthropist, Ann Colgin is a renaissance woman with a playful and elegant personality.  A native of Texas,  Ann completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University followed by an M.A. at New York University. She started at the Sotheby’s in London, began her career in the auction world in New York, and later was the Director of the Sotheby’s West Coast Wine Department based in Los Angeles.  In 1992, she founded Colgin Cellars after falling in love with the Napa Valley.

The fist chapter of Colgin Cellars as a Napa Valley cult Cabernet producer was written by Helen Turley as its winemaker.  Turley, the pioneering American winemaker, is known for her signature style of bold and extracted flavors underscored by finesse, polish and refinement.  At one point, Turley simultaneously made wines for Colgin, Bryant, Turley, Martinelli, Pahlmeyer, Green & Red, Harrison, La Jota, Landmark and Canepa, as well her own label, Marcassin.

Not surprisingly, Helen Turley left Colgin after a successful start.  Ann Colgin quickly brought in Mark Aubert, the winemaker at the Peter Michael winery to work alongside with her vineyard manager David Abreu and Bordeaux consultant Dr Alain Raynaud.  They formed a formidable and impressive team that turned Colgin Cellars into one of the best-run in Napa.

IX Estate (also called "No. 9") is Ann Colgin's new purchase in 1998.  It is a 125-acre parcel overlooking Lake Hennessey.  Planting was undertaken at an elevation from 950 to 1400 feet, with the first vintage of IX Estate produced in 2002.  In 2005, Colgin was named “One of the Fifty Greatest Wine Estates in the World” by Robert M. Parker.  In 2017, Colgin Cellars becomes a strategic partner with LVMH and Bernard Arnault.  Colgin IX Estate became a member of Vins d’Exception alongside Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem, and Domaine du Clos des Lambrays.  Ann Colgin retains 40% stake in the estate with the remainer sold to LVMH.

"The 2015 “IX Estate” is exotic and intoxicating. Dark notes of chocolate truffle are infused with bright, lively aromas of lavender, mint, and dark cherry. Savory aromas of fresh and dried herbs fuse together with the soil-driven flavors of iron and crushed rock. A hint of acidity on the palate underlies the silky texture, leading to a prolonged finish. The 2015 "IX Estate" exudes a liveliness with its bright, bold fragrance, reflecting a vintage with full ripeness." - Colgin Estate

"Another perfect wine from this estate is the 2015 IX Estate which is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot. This inky purple-colored beauty has everything: incredible aromatics, huge richness, insane purity, and a singular character that needs to be tasted to be believed. Crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, flowers, and lead pencil shaving-like notes all soar from the glass and it hits the palate with a youthful, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated style that builds incrementally, has fine tannin, and integrated acidity. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age but will keep for 3-4 decades." - Jeb Dunnuck  (12/29/2017), Ratings: 100, Drink: 2023-2063