Winemaker Notes
Intense aromatics abound in the 2021 "IX Estate," revealing a soulful wine with an immense sense of place. Notes of raspberry, plum and cocoa lace together with IX Estate’s telltale nose of sage, juniper, and crushed rock. Potpourri and iron subtly accent the wine’s deeper flavors. Finely polished tannins, with their velvety mouthfeel, meld with the wine’s salivating and succulent sensibility. Structured, yet juicy, the 2021 "IX Estate" echoes the finesse of the greatest of vintages.
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot
Wood case ships separately.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Red currant, lead pencil and terra cotta aromas with some bay leaf and sage. Full-bodied with tight, firm tannins that are polished and very fine. Turns to graphite. Extremely long, refined, polished and exquisite. Best after 2028.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Colgin's 2021 IX Estate is a rich, opulent example, with layers of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate punctuated by hints of sage and bay leaf, plus some vaguely floral notes (violets?). Full-bodied, concentrated, velvety and long, it's another terrific wine that showcases the potential of Pritchard Hill, the investment by the owners and the talent of the winemaking team.
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Decanter
IX Estate is an absolute standout, offering expressive aromatics of pure blackberry, cassis, and Bing cherry, layered with exotic ironstone minerality, sage, and unsmoked tobacco. From the first sip, it is immediately generous, showcasing supple black fruit, loamy earth, and velvety tannins that melt effortlessly. The finish is nothing short of extraordinary, carrying tremendous length and deep mineral character, with lingering notes of crushed cocoa nibs and mocha that unfold for days and days—a profoundly structured and captivating wine. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I'd wager a Napa Valley legend in the making, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon IX Estate comes from the estate vineyard on Pritchard Hill, and if there was ever a classification of terroirs in the valley, this would check in near the top of the list. Deep purple-hued, with awesome aromatics of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and subtle floral hints, this has that rare mix of power and elegance that defines so many great wines. Full-bodied, concentrated, and flawlessly balanced, it has no shortage of structure and is going to need 7-8 years, if not a decade, to hit full maturity, where it will hold for 2-3 decades.
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Vinous
The 2021 IX Estate is such an elegant wine. Sleek, aromatic and refined, the 2021 is one of the most polished young wines I have tasted from this site. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mint abound. Silky and delineated, the 2021 is exceptionally beautiful and balanced. Clean saline notes and veins of tannin extend the explosive, sublime finish.
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Wine Spectator
There's some gorgeous flow to this red, with an overriding velvety feel to its crushed blackberry, açaí and loganberry fruit core, contrasted nicely by an underlying cast iron note. Alder, sage and sweet bay hints flicker seductively amid the fruit on the lengthy finish. Best from 2025 through 2045.
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.