100-Points by James Suckling.
I’m speechless about this one. It’s a wine that makes you think of other great, classic wines. It’s full-bodied and tannic, with the intensity that Napa wines achieve in hot vintages, yet it remains tense and blue-fruited, showing that it’s a mountain red that was not affected by the extreme weather of the vintage. There are flavors of menthol and fresh thyme in the finish. A beguiling wine.
A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for approximately 20 months in 60% new French oak.
 
Winemaker Tasting Notes.
The 2022 “IX Estate” vintage offers a flourishing bouquet of vivid fruits, fragrant florals, earth, and spice. Classic cassis and red currant emerge from the glass with subtle notes of crushed flowers and bergamot tea. The soul of the wine bursts with an invigorating energy. Botanical herbs, subtle tobacco, and a touch of bouillon enhance the intricacies of this stimulating vintage. Silky, succulently textured tannins drench the palate, while hints of salted caramel and cracked pepper add a salivating sensibility. Flavors continue for a refreshingly long finish. Seductive yet awakening, the 2022 “IX Estate” is a charismatic wine to behold early yet will reveal continued pleasure and vitality for decades.
 
Colgin’s debut vintage of the Jubilation Red Blend is the acclaimed estate’s newest masterpiece. When it comes to recognizing fine art, Ann Colgin ranks among the world’s most equipped and knowledgeable. Her CV backs up her impressive career in the art world with an M.A. from NYU, a certificate from Sotheby’s Decorative Arts course, her previous role as the Director of Sotheby’s West Coast Wine Department, and her current seat on the Board of Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 1988 was a fateful year for Ann. It was the first time she attended Napa Valley’s Wine Auction, and she instantly fell in love with the valley. Ann hunted for a property to establish her wine estate from that trip on, using her keen eye to select a premier hillside vineyard site in 1996 where Colgin Cellars now calls home. 
Robert Parker would later describe this ethereal parcel by saying, “The IX Estate is as close to a viticultural nirvana as I have ever seen.” Since 1992, Colgin has acquired and re-established three hillside vineyards, including the IX Estate, Tychson Hill, and Cariad. They make a single vineyard designated wine for each that, in the last 30 years, has each garnered high esteem from around the world. For Colgin, their artistry is about creating wines with a distinct sense of place and doing so with passion, dedication, and love. Alison Tauziet has helped to craft these exceptional works of art since 2005 when she joined the team and has since grown with the team into her current role as Director of Winemaking. Even though the new vines from these re-plantings are not mature enough for single-vineyard designates, Ann & Alison found the fruit intriguing. Indeed, the young grapes were a “medium” worth exploring.
The Colgin winery, completed in 2002, is located at the northern end of IX Estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill. Although within the St. Helena city limits, Pritchard hill is much closer to, and more closely aligned with eastern Oakville, just perched several hundred feet above it to the east. The yields are small on the hill and the wines are concentrated and ageworthy. These are some of the very best examples of mountain Cabernet in the US, hands down.