Winemaker Notes
In keeping with the extraordinary growing season, the 2021 Jubilation by Colgin Cellars is brimming with intense fruits and pure mineral notes of stone and graphite. Vivid aromas of black cherry, baking spices and savory herbs resonate on the nose. Sleek, yet silky tannins glide across the palate with a graceful feel. The succulence of the palate lingers with subtle flavors of cocoa and licorice.
Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Splendid aromas of plums, bark, earth, cedar and some light chocolate and wet earth undertones. It’s medium- to full-bodied, with creamy and very fine tannins giving it depth and length. A blend of vineyards, including Colgin Vineyards and Vine Hill. Gorgeous now.
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Jeb Dunnuck
This cuvée was first made in 2016 as a blend of mostly estate fruit (there's a splash of Vine Hill Ranch), made from the more accessible lots with the idea of a slightly more approachable style, yet crafted with the same care and technique as the Colgin flagships. Based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot from IX Estate, Tychson Hill, and Vine Hill Ranch aged 20 months in French oak, the 2021 Jubilation By Colgin shows a beautiful perfume of darker currants and cassis intermixed with freshly sharpened pencils, graphite, and crushed stone, as well as a beautiful violet and floral character. It's medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, ample tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. It's far from an entry-level, simple wine and is a serious, pure, gorgeous wine in its own right that will keep for two decades.
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Vinous
The 2021 Jubilation is gorgeous. Dark, ample and seductive, the 2021 captures all the textural intensity of this drought year and tiny berries. Black cherry, plum, espresso, licorice, menthol and dried herbs fill out the layers effortlessly. This dense, packed red will benefit from another year or two in bottle.
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.