2017 Colgin Cabernet Sauviginon Tychson Hill Vyd California Red

2017 Colgin Cabernet Sauviginon Tychson Hill Vyd

98 JD

Featured Review

Starting out, the 2017 Tychson Hill is gorgeous, revealing a saturated purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of blackcurrants, ground herbs, chocolate, toasted bread, and subtle yet high class oak. Full-bodied, beautifully textured, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, it has silky tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a big finish. This is a backward, primordial beauty that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age yet shine for 30 years or more. Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JD

Lots of pure berries and sweet tobacco with currants and spices, such as cinnamon. Graphite, too. Medium to full body with wonderfully integrated tannins that are firm and focused, giving this pretty, sculptured form. March 2021 release. Better after 2022, but already beautifully.

James Suckling | 98 JS

The berries at Tychson Hill vineyard were very small in 2017. “This wine totally required baby steps with the extraction,” said winemaker Allison Tauziet. Very deep purple-black in color, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard leaps from the glass with vibrant black cherries, warm blackberries and blackcurrant scents with hints of violets, dark chocolate, lavender and camphor plus a fragrant waft of rose hip tea. Medium to full-bodied, the structure is taut, restraining all the tightly packed, energetic black fruit layers, with a wonderfully fine-grained texture and bags of freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Still very tightly wound, this one needs time, but it should handsomely reward patience.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is bright, focused and bristling with energy. In 2017, Tychson Hill is more overly tannic and structured than in most years, but all that means is that readers need to be a bit patient. A rush of black cherry, plum, lavender, mint and licorice builds as this explosive Cabernet Sauvignon gradually opens up in the glass. Heady and exotic in its beauty, the 2017 is positively stellar. It reminds me a bit of the 2001, a wine that needed years to soften and be at its very best. That may very well be the case here as well.

Antonio Galloni | 96+ AG

A dense, packed version, with lots of steeped black currant and fig fruit forming the core, which expands steadily as it airs, fueled by extra tobacco, dark earth and espresso cream notes. A touch rugged and burly through the finish, an aspect of the vintage. This should cruise in the cellar and tame with time. Best from 2022 through 2038. 550 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Type of Wine	California Red : Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel, Californian red wine producers have a lovely habit of taking a varietal and expressing its essence in a unique, never before seen way. From Napa Valley to the regions south of Los Angeles, there's a red for everyone - and it's never too late to start exploring.
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon : It is recognized worldwide, referred to as “king of grapes” and has easily become the most popular grape variety in the world. Cabernet Sauvignon has seemingly taken the world by storm. It has seen exponential growth and popularity in American and around the world over the past thirty years. The phrase “Cabernet is king,” is a common maxim in the world of wine. Cabernet Sauvignon wine has become so popular that when being referred to can be recognized by simple slang, such as “Cab” or “Cabernet. It might appear simple, straightforward and easily understood; yet, interestingly remains an enigma, which has both baffled and excited oenologists since its discovery. The exact origin and circumstances of this world-altering event are still enigmatic; however, at the end of the 20th century, UC Davis Scientists (John Bowers and Carole Meredith) were able to solve part of the mystery using DNA fingerprinting technology that proved Cabernet Sauvignon to be the offspring of a surprising spontaneous crossing of Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. By the 18th century there were already records of Cabernet Sauvignon being well-established on the west side of the Gironde Estuary (Left Bank) in the Medoc and Graves. Although tremendously popular in California and what seems to have become the identity of Napa Valley winemaking, Cabernet Sauvignon’s birth took place in the Bordeaux region of southwest France by fortuitous unification. Whereas Napa Valley experienced a winemaking renaissance during the 1970’s and 1980s (greatly due to the 1976 Judgement of Paris) quality wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been produced in the Medoc, on the Left Bank of Bordeaux for over 400 years. Cabernet Sauvignon’s first recorded plantings in California can be traced back to the 1850’s when Antoine Delmas, a French nurseryman, brought French vines (including one called ‘Cabrunet’) to the Santa Clara Valley. Early cultivation suffered due to obscurity of the varietal and improper planting in inhospitable soil. It wasn’t until pioneers such as Robert Mondavi, Randy Dunn and Warren Winiarski with their amazing foresight and understanding of terroir, would the grape variety finally find its niche in California winemaking. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in warm climates moderated by a cooling marine influence. It is perfectly attuned to gravel-based soils with good drainage. Whether on flat land or a hillside, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape flourishes in proper climates and terroir, producing incredible yields. The thick grapevine is extremely vigorous allowing it to exploit its natural host. Its distinctive small, black berries (reminiscent of blueberries) adhere firmly to the stalk and are capable of a very long “hang time.” These berries are extremely concentrated, producing intensely flavored fruit. The thick skins of the grape are characterized as having highly astringent flavor, high tannin, acidity and dark color. Coincidentally, the variety has a special affinity for oak, which helps soften the bitterness. Today, the Noble Bordeaux varietal of Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on 340,000 hectares (741,300 acres) of vineyards across the earth’s surface. From Sicily to Sonoma, Chile to Bordeaux, South Africa to Napa. It has found symbiosis in terroir hotspots that mimic that of the Medoc and Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon’s globetrotting has allowed the grape variety to take root all over the world, captivating its inhabitants and influencing winemaking. This serendipitous marriage between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc centuries ago, which offered to the world its progeny, has changed the landscape of winegrowing, winemaking and the face of the entire wine market forever. It has influenced blending, changed civilization and has cultivated a place for itself in today’s world… the very pinnacle.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	California : With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine.
Subregion	Napa Valley
Climat/Vineyard	Tychson Hill Vineyard

Producer	Colgin : Colgin Cellars burst onto the scene with the 1992 vintage and immediately carved itself a formidable reputation among collectors and connoisseurs alike. The handcrafted ultra-premium red wines are produced in miniscule amounts and have a three year waiting list just to be placed on the actual mailing list. A rare breed of Napa Valley that delivers just as much in investment as it does pleasure. Colgin is a producer that keeps enthusiasts fascinated with wine and thrusts Napa Valley and California into the spotlight of world class winemaking. Many winemaking ventures are birthed by the desire to attain a lifestyle synonymous with the joy and happiness that wine brings. Perhaps it is a desire to craft something that others can become captivated by and enjoy with family. Ann Colgin is no exception; she began her venture out of love for Napa Valley and her passion for wine. Though it seemed to be an overnight sensation with the debut of her 1992 vintage, it was not as if a 125-acre empire was implanted in the heart and soul of Napa Valley. Colgin’s sheer determination and passion drove her efforts grape by grape, vineyard by vineyard. After attending the Napa Valley Wine Auction in the late 1980’s, Colgin’s fascination with winemaking came to fruition in 1992 when she was able to source fruit from the famed Herb Lamb vineyard and crafted her own wine. It was released in 1995 and set the market on fire. Her ambition would not be placated and in the years following would purchase small historic vineyard sites near and around the St. Helena, Rutherford, and Oakville districts. Finally in 1998, her acquisition of a 125 acre parcel on Pritchard Hill, over-looking Lake Hennessey, enabled her to build the wine-making facility, and thus continuing her dream. Though 2007 was the final year of Colgin’s Herb Lamb offering, it does not diminish its significance nor the pride that helped drive a vintner towards greatness. Trailing in its success are three tremendous vineyard sites that were diligently acquired by Ann Colgin, each offering elegant characteristics from their own unique terroir; from the rocky hillsides of Cariad in St. Helena, overlooking the heart of Napa Valley to the steep East facing slopes of IX Estate on Pritchard Hill, to the historic vineyard of Tychson Hill originally planted in the 19th century. Cariad is perched upon rich, volcanic, stony soil with gravelly-alluvium, with bountiful sunlight and a cool climate stretching out over some of Napa’s finest land. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, which enjoys opulence and structure characterized by exotic notes of violet, dark fruit, and a gravelly minerality. Tychson Hill, named for Josephine Tychson, who originally planted the vineyard in 1860, is constructed with weathered, volcanic rocks with reddish-brown stone and obsidian. This singular expression of Cabernet Sauvignon reveals intense, deep layers of crème de cassis, barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberry and fresh cut flowers. Finally, the IX Estate Syrah consists of well drained, reddish clays with weathered, igneous rocks carved from ancient lava flows and offers both a unique, Northern Rhone inspired Syrah, as well as the “IX Estate” label which is a powerful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and exudes towering aromatics of dark fruits, savory herbs and spice. The wines of Colgin Cellars can be enjoyed young, but also have the ability to age gracefully for years to come. With a miniscule annual production of 2,600-2,800 cases produced and a waiting list for a waiting list, the wine is as great an investment as it is a joy to own, drink or collect. Of course it doesn’t hurt when Colgin has been named “One of the Fifty Greatest Wine Estates in the World,” by Robert Parker in 2005. He also stated that Ann Colgin’s pride and joy, “IX Estate is as close to a viticultural nirvana as I have ever seen.” Colgin has crafted a product that radiates elegance, inspires memories, and brings joy and happiness to all who have the pleasure of encountering it.