Winemaker Notes
The 2018 "Cariad" has a regal, stately character with notes of classic dark fruits and earth. Notes of plum, licorice candy, and forest floor permeate the senses along with gentle hints of floral blossoms. The wine’s expansive palate is supported by magnificent tannins and a finish bursting with flavor. The 2018 vintage of “Cariad” is brimming with energy and finesse.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot.
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James Suckling
Incredible aromas of blackcurrants, licorice, blackberries. black mushrooms, crushed stones, cement and flowers. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished, refined tannins. So long. Great tannin integration. Goes on for minutes. Rich. Best in 2025, but already so amazing to drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish.
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Wine Spectator
What a show of ripe, pure and unadorned fruit, with an immense core of cassis, warmed kirsch and black Mission fig paste flavors that glide through as they're given center stage, while beautifully integrated alder and warm earth notes flow underneath. There's serious drive for the long haul, with flickers of anise and violet darting in on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2040.
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.