2008 Colgin IX Estate Red

The 2008 vintage was shaped by the La Nina weather pattern. Colgin experienced just 60% of their average rainfall in Napa Valley, and most of that rain came in the winter time and tapered off in mid March. Because of the dry spring, the dry soils prompted the vines to push their growth earlier than usual. This would set the stage for the remainder of the season.

With a dry spring, vines naturally produced less fruit than average during bloom in May. Several heat events in the summer sped up the season but also helped to bring uniformity to the ripeness of the fruit, causing the berries to change color simultaneously. A heat wave at the beginning of September started the harvest off fast and furiously with Merlot and Syrah. Soon the weather cooled off, allowing the cabernet to ripen slowly and be picked at the end of September. Though the crop size was quite tiny, the results are elegant wines with great structure and concentration.

The 2008 Colgin IX Estate Napa Valley Red Wine is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. The 2008 vintage was our seventh vintage from IX Estate, and we continue to be overjoyed with the quality of the wines from this site. As our vines become older with each passing year, the wines become more and more consistent. Colgin has taken incredible care to maximize the potential from this site in so many ways. Through attentive tending of the vines, careful irrigations, strict crop thinning and thoughtful decisions of the timing of harvest, they worked to bring out the absolute best in the IX Estate.

Tasting Notes from Winemaker Allison Tauziet:

The 2008 IX Estate Red Wine is all about the aromas of the terroir. The 2008 vintage across the board has resulted in wines that first and foremost reflect their sense of place. The nose of the IX Estate is pure crushed rocks, clay and minerals at first, and with air the savory aromas of musk and bay leaf come through. Decadent notes of black licorice, black cherry and cassis bring succulence to the nose. The wine is silky soft up front on the palate, but then develops into deliciously layered tannins. The structure of the wine suggests that it will be long lived. I recommend a long decant of the wine near term or preferably a minimum of 5 years aging before enjoying the wine. After 21 months in new French oak barrels, the wine was bottled in July of 2010 without any fining or filtration.