Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Smelling this takes my breath away. Cloves, floras, metal shavings, blackberries and smoked meat. Mandarin zest, too. Full body with a perfect balance of ultra-fine tannins and great complexity. Goes on for minutes. Sets a new standard of syrah for California. Don't wait to drink this.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep garnet-purple, the 2015 IX Syrah Estate opens with intense crushed black cherries, black plums and mulberries with underlying black pepper, peppered salami, violets and chocolate box plus a lovely star anise and sandalwood waft. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and wonderfully soft and sexy, it gives tons of perfumed black fruit and spice cake layers, finishing very long.
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Vinous
The 2015 Syrah IX Estate might very well be the youngest and most vibrant of Colgin's 2015s! It offers less in the way of aromatic development vis-à-vis the other wines, and more primary expression of fruit as well. Dark red fruit, blood orange, spice and pomegranate infuse the palate with striking depth. I might be tempted to cellar this for another few years. I loved the 2015 Syrah on release, and I love it just as much today. Only Colgin makes a Syrah like this.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I compared the 2015 Syrah to an Hermitage from Chapoutier on release, and I stand by that comparison today. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of darker berries, ground pepper, candied violets, and cured meats, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful freshness, and a great finish. It’s drinking beautifully today yet has another 15 years of prime drinking ahead of it.
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Wine Spectator
Boldly structured, yet supple and rich, with expressive blackberry, smoky beef, licorice and fresh pepper flavors that take on speed toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2028.
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.