Producer | Colgin |
Country | USA |
Region | California |
Subregion | Napa Valley |
Varietal | Syrah |
Vintage | 2021 |
Sku | 9548 |
Size | 750ml |
Blackberry and white pepper with black tobacco and hints of iron terra cotta and mushrooms. Medium- to full-bodied with a solid core of tannins and earthy spicy meaty and chocolaty undertones. Very complex and layered with a tightly wound ball of cashmere. It?s so textural plush and gorgeous. Drinkable but better in three or four years
The 2021 Syrah is another incredible Syrah here and I d put it up against any Syrah out there. Inky-hued with a La Landonne-like nose of ripe black and blue fruits smoked game chocolate and graphite it hits the palate with full-bodied richness a dense powerful compact mouthfeel building tannins and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following decade or more.
All destemmed and aged in Burgundy pièces from the likes of Damy François Frères and Ermitage the 2021 Syrah IX Estate boasts considerable floral and herbal nuances on the nose along with something akin to rust corroded iron or blood and layers of black cherry and plum fruit. Full-bodied rich and velvety in texture it lacks the finesse and elegance of the 2018 but it pales only in comparison to that beauty finishing long with echoes of espresso licorice and peppery spice. One of the "cult" producers to crop up in the early 1990s Colgin Cellars' first vintage was in 1992 with fruit purchased from the Herb Lamb Vineyard located on the lower slopes of Howell Mountain just low enough not to be part of the Howell Mountain AVA. Colgin would later go on to buy land and develop vineyards at Tychson Hill (westside Saint Helena purchased 1996) and IX Estate (Pritchard Hill purchased in 1998). In 2017 Ann Colgin and her husband Joe Wender sold a controlling interest in Colgin Cellars to LVMH but remain active in the business. Today Colgin owns six acres of vines at Tychson Hill and 20 acres of vines at IX Estate with 11 more acres there currently being developed. Cariad comes primarily from the Abreu-farmed Madrona Ranch on the western side of Saint Helena. Director of Winemaking Allison Tauziet has been with Colgin since 2005 when she joined as assistant winemaker so she is nearing 20 years of experience with these wines. To put the new-release 2021s in perspective Colgin Wender and Tauziet presented three vintages each of the four wines reviewed this issue?2016 2018 and 2021. I guess it will surprise no one that these are all gorgeous wines given the positive press and numerous accolades bestowed on previous vintages but it is encouraging to see that success and age hasn't slowed down the Colgin team's pursuit of excellence. I've included my ratings and reviews of the older vintages so readers can compare my impressions to those of my predecessor. Like many other producers Colgin bottled no wines in 2020. With the new vineyard parcels coming on stream and the relative abundance of the 2023 vintage production will undoubtedly rise so if you are going to add your name to the waiting list for the mailing list there's probably no better time than now. Published: Mar 29 2024
The 2021 Syrah IX Estate impresses with its fruit purity and freshness. Bright red-toned fruit blood orange cinnamon and dried herbs are beautifully articulated in this vibrant mid-weight Syrah. There's a bit of new oak today but that will subside over time. This is an exceptionally beautiful vintage for the Syrah a wine that is as much a wine of IX Estate as it is of varietal character. Seamless polished tannins wrap up the finish. - By Antonio Galloni on December 2023 I tasted an extensive selection of wines both young and older this year at Colgin over the course of two visits. The 2021s are fabulous. They offer a striking interplay of textural richness and energy that is so compelling. Ann Colgin her husband Joe Wender and longtime winemaker Allison Tauziet commented that a dry spring and summer yielded small berries. Harvest stretched across an entire month. As always the Colgin wines offer quite a bit of textural richness but these days they also have a little more nuance than in the past. Colgin is presently developing a large tract of land that lies just across from their IX Estate vineyard and winery. It?s an ambitious project but I would expect nothing less.
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