Winemaker Notes
Blend: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Dynamic and complex in the glass, the 2023 Cariad has it all. Black cherry, plum, new leather, incense and dried herbs lead into a core of blue and black fruits. Brisk acids and veins of supporting tannin shape the mid-palate and finish in a striking, captivating wine that blossoms with time in the glass, showing unreal depth, complexity and nuance. Unforgettable.
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Decanter
Cariad is fermented in stainless steel and aged for approximately 20 months in 66% new French oak. A powerful, muscular wine delivered with balletic grace, it is darker-fruited than Tychson Hill and composed in a distinctly Bordeaux-inspired style. Impeccably polished, framed by ultra-fine, gravelly tannins, evocative of classic Bordeaux reds, providing an elegant yet firm framework. The fruit profile is expansive, led by blackcurrant and cherry, moving into blackberry, all laced with Indian spices and lifted peppercorn notes. Sweet tobacco and violet aromatics rise from the glass, adding aromatic lift and complexity. The wine carries tremendous depth while retaining the levity and freshness that define the 2023 vintage. The fruit is sourced from old vines planted on an alluvial, stony hillside site in the north-west of St. Helena, at the base of Spring Mountain.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a site on the western side of St. Helena, the 2023 Cariad is absolutely gorgeous, with pure darker black cherries, currants, smoked tobacco, graphite, and a Haut-Brion-like scorched earth component. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot aged 20 months in French oak, it's full-bodied and flawlessly balanced, with fine, polished tannins, the freshness and purity of the vintage, and a great finish. It will shine with just 4-6 years of bottle age but will age gracefully for 30+ years. It's a world-class wine in every way. Drink 2029-2055.
Rating: 98+ -
James Suckling
Blackberry, blueberry, iodine and crushed stone aromas follow through to a medium to full body. Tight and tannic at the end. Very structured and muscular. Needs time to soften.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Colgin's 2023 Cariad is the only wine in the stable to be produced from purchased fruit—a blend of specific parcels from both Ecotone and Madroña Ranch that averages around 60% to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit is simply gorgeous, with notes of fresh blueberries and cherries swirling around each other in easy harmony. Medium- to full-bodied, this has a fresh, silky feel and long, softly tannic finish.
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.