Colgin IX Estate Proprietary Red 2013 (750ML)

100 WA / 100 JD / 100 WI / 100 FS / 100 WCI / 99 VM / 98 JS

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. It should drink well for 30+ years as well. - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

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.-Jeb Dunnuck

Dark ruby ​​garnet, violet reflections, delicate edge lightening. Ripe black cherry fruit with a floral background, nuances of licorice and cassis, fine spice nuances, a hint of nougat. Extremely juicy, complex texture, black wild berries, supported by ripe, highly elegant tannins, finessed acid structure, chocolaty aftertaste, lingers for a very long time, promises great drinking pleasure.-Peter Moser, Falstaff