2009 colgin, cariad, napa valley

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Why We're Buying

Colgin Cariad takes its name from the Welsh word for love. It's a Bordeaux-style red blend with four grape varieties, culminating in a bouquet of black fruit, cinnamon, and herbs. If you have $500 or so to spare, you can invest in a wine that Lisa Perrotti-Brown and Antonio Galloni gave a perfect score in 2016.

Critics Scores

Vinous

The 2009 Cariad Red Wine is a blend of fruit sourced from Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch in St. Helena. It is deep, sensual and beautifully balanced in its dark black fruit, menthol, spices and licorice. This is a much firmer and more structured wine than the Tychson Hill. It doesn't have that wine's sheer early appeal, but it does have the structure to age gracefully for years. Smoke, savory herbs and licorice are some of the notes that frame the explosive finish.

James Suckling

Ripe and rich fruit on the nose with dried berry and dark chocolate character. Full body, with a seamless and stunning texture. It goes on for minutes. Phenomenal texture.

Wine Spectator

Very tight and sturdy, firm and muscular, offering extracted blackberry fruit, with notes of black licorice, spice and tar. Ends with chewy tannins and a pleasant edge of ripe fruit. Best from 2014 through 2028.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2009 Proprietary Red Cariad is a blend of 59 Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 Merlot, 10 Cabernet Franc and 9 Petit Verdot. This full-bodied red reveals slightly more forest floor, menthol, bouquet garni, espresso roast, blackberry and black currant characteristics as well as more tannin than the Tychson Hill. It comes across like an elegant hybrid blend of a rich Bordeaux-styled wine from Napa Valley with a focused, structured, French sensitivity. It should age effortlessly for 20-25 years.