Winemaker Notes
Cariad, the Welsh word for “love”, is a Bordeaux-style red wine blended from three outstanding vineyards owned and managed by David Abreu. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Madrona Ranch are blended with small amounts of fruit from Thorevilos and Howell Mountain, producing a wine of enormous proportions with a classic structure that is the Colgin hallmark: a plethora of vibrant aromas, voluptuous at mid-palate, with impeccable balance and an exceptionally long finish. A wine as seductive as its name.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Amazing aromas of blackcurrants, forest floors, dark tea and wet earth. Rose petals and leaves. Licorice undertones, too. Full-bodied, tight and precise with hazelnuts, rose petals and dark berries. Sea salt and a savory finish. A serious yet joyful, young red. Better in 2021 but already a fantastic wine to drink.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Reminding me of a Pessac-Léognan (although the style they’re going for is more Pauillac), the 2015 Cariad offers full-bodied, opulent, expansive aromas and flavors of tobacco leaf, cigar-box, earth, and crushed rock to go with a sensational core of ripe black fruits. It has the terrific complexity of the vintage as well as a deep, concentrated style, ample tannin, and while no doubt a sexy drink today, will be better with 4-5 years of bottle age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine sports a very deep garnet-purple color and boasts a very savory nose of chargrill, roasted nuts and yeast extract over a core of blackberry pie, blueberry compote, menthol and Indian spices with wafts of violets and underbrush. The palate has very firm, beautifully ripe tannins with a muscular core of black fruits and black licorice, featuring seamless freshness and amazing length. Rating: 98+
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Vinous
The 2015 Cariad is another gorgeous, open-knit offering from Colgin. Expressive spice and floral notes develop first. Medium in body and nuanced, the 2015 is strikingly beautiful. Naturally, Cariad shows the ripeness of the year while also retaining a good deal of freshness. Time in the glass does wonders in releasing the aromatics and fruit, both of which were a bit subdued at the outset. Drink it over the next decade.
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Wine Spectator
Young and massive, with a strong flex of tannic strength amid oak, extracted dark berry, cedar and spice flavors. For now the tannins are a major concern, as they are assertive, if not aggressive. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2030.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.