IX Estate Napa Valley Red Blend

Love the blue red fruit with sanguine

Perfumed and lean on the nose with a bit of bacon fat, sour cherry, violet and plum. On the palate a little hot and truncated. The nose wins here, but the front is good.

Blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot, deep Ruby with pronounced aromas of dark ripe berry fruits, floral earthy herbs and licorice. On the palate black cherry, raspberry and blackberry flavors with espresso, mocha, oak and earthy notes. Well balanced, great mouthfeel, medium acidity, fine ripe tannins, long finish ending with fruit, cedar and toasty mineral spice! Nice! Will age well for another decade!

The 2018 IX Estate is a wine of extraordinary depth and intensity. The aromatics along are positively dazzling. Crushed herbs, lavender, spice, menthol, chocolate, licorice and gravel lend tremendous power and gravitas. Just as impressive it was last year, the 2018 is positively riveting today. What a wine! (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2022)

The nose speaks velvety, slightly perfumed floral, ruby fruits of; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, very black plum, mulberries, boysenberries and some hints strawberries & raspberries. Soft, subtle, sexy, dark spices, incense, potpourri, cherry kirsch, understated anise, dark, used expresso grounds, savory meats, fresh tobacco, leather, oak barrel dust, dark rich soils, graphite, dry limestone powder, dry herbaceousness, clove, light nutmeg/cinnamon & vanillin with fresh but leaning withering; dark, red, purple and blue flowers wrapped in soft lavender.

The palate is beautiful with velvety tannins that still punch as meaty & tarry. The tension & structure are just out of adolescence. The balance & length are stunning now but, show room for further improvement 10 years down the road. One small flaw is you sense some elevated alcohol vapors. Velvety, slightly perfumed floral, ruby fruits of; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, very black plum, mulberries, plums, boysenberries and some hints strawberries & raspberries. Soft, subtle, sexy, dark spices with heat, incense, potpourri, cherry kirsch, understated anise, raspberry cola, dark, used expresso grounds, savory meats, iron deposits, fresh tobacco, leather, oak barrel dust, dark rich soils, mix of dry & moist clay, graphite, volcanic ash, dry limestone powder, dry herbaceousness, black & some white pepper, clove, light nutmeg/cinnamon & vanillin, caramel notes, mocha powder with fresh but leaning withering, dark, red, purple and blue flowers wrapped in soft lavender. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is; ruby, lush, silky, velvety, elegance defined, extremely well knitted & balanced fruit & earth, persisting endlessly onto earth & spice.

If you own the 05, leave it in your cellar another 5-8 years before opening.

Photos of, a downslope view of the Estate & vines, their gated entrance, their private wine cellar & the Estate building.

On an ordinary night this would be WOTN but this was not an ordinary night - just repaying back the gracious friendship of @Bill Bender @David L with and an amazing night for the amazing night they have me this last summer

Deep purple, this is huge on the nose. Violet extract, licorice whip, sage, BBQ meat, candied bacon, jerky, mocha, all lined next to roasted black berry and blueberry, even allow for liquor. Intense palate, penetrating density and incredibly long. Palate is all purple and distilled fruit, sage, chaparral, candied olive, sweet tobacco, spicecake, wraps up with talcum and eucalyptus. Notes from 9.7.18

Mixed ripe black cherry and currant with some edges of purple fruit, quite rich and coating. Backed by very mineral notes of iron, chaparral, bay, leather and savory meat. The palate has considerable flesh to it, muscular with some roundness in shape to finesse it out. Somewhere between Tychson and Cariad in concentration. Again lovey terroir notes of chaparral/manzanita, bay, hung beef, leather, cigar box and espresso. The alcohol is present here, on the finish. Notes from 9.7.18

Full, deep ruby. Deep aromas of dark fruits, spices, smoky oak and flowers, plus a whiff of game. Utterly plush and mouthfilling but not at all heavy, showing serious thickness and high-altitude density to its sweet blue and black fruit, spice and chocolate flavors. And yet this wine's floral element gives it an almost light touch, if that's possible. Some subtle soil tones reminded me of the outstanding Syrah from this site on Pritchard Hill. Finishes with substantial but noble tannins and terrific length. (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019)

Today was an absolutely fantastic Friday hosting at the City Club by @Dan Fitzgerald. 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert wine. Great job Dan!

The third of four Colgin’s served blind. This and the fourth were my favorites and both were different. This was much brighter and had a sweet core. Very perfumed...potpourri, violets, black cherry, cocoa dusted dates. Starts light at the entry and gains density as it hits the mid palate and finish. Retains fruit from start to finish but it’s not a show stealer, simply accompanies everything else. Total balance. My guess was between Napa Cabernet or Syrah.