Wine Spectator Score: 93

Robert Parker Score: 98

Tanzer Score: 96

State: California

Region: California

District: Napa Valley

Type: Still Wine

Color: Red

Varietal: Blends & Meritage

Vintage: 2004

Size: 750ML

Available: 1

Brand: See more from Colgin Cellars

Sku: 30552

Price: $314.99

Quantity:   

Product Information:

Winemaker Mark Aubert's Tasting Notes--"My first impression of the 2004 IX Estate Napa Valley Red Wine gives new meaning to the word intense. All components of this cuvee are deeply pitched in both color and aromatics. The enticing black color of this wine gives the assurance of ripe grape skins and soft tannins. Perfectly delineated are the aromas of fresh red berries and site specific aromatics such as black licorice and fresh black cherry juice. The high elevation of this outstanding vineyard site creates an average five degrees cooler temperature which means slower ripening, allowing flavors to stay ahead of sugar accumulation, preserving subtle nuances and creating fine acid structure. The tannins are silky and the mouth feel is one of the rich and full bodied phenolics. This soft tannin structure frames the ageability and reasssures continued complexity during bottle ageing. This complex wine was only racked once for blending and bottling and was bottled in March 2006 without fining or filtration. The 2004 IX Estate Napa Valley Red Wine will continue to improve for decades or will drink well in 2 to 5 years near term." Blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot.

Wine Spectator Review:
Rich and tightly focused, with a pure beam of spicy cherry, sweet wild berry and plumlaced fruit thats supported by firm, structured tannins. Closed in on the finish, with fresh earth, dill and sage notes. Best from 2009 through 2017.

Parker Review:
The 2004 IX Proprietary Red Wine (1,258 cases from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot) is amazing out of bottle. Flamboyant, superfragrant aromas of graphite, creme de cassis, espresso roast, flowers, and the entire black and blue fruit spectrum jump from the glass of this gorgeous wine. In the mouth, silky tannin and a multidimensional, skyscraperlike mouthfeel are offered without heaviness or coarseness. This totally profound wine exhibits what a great site, extraordinary winemaking, and a commitment to excellence can produce. It should drink well for two decades.

Tanzer Review:
Opaque ruby. Flamboyant aromas of black fruits, licorice, smoke, crushed stone, black tea, lavender and wild sage. Sweet, lush and densely packed, with the wild character following through in the mouth. This comes across as a bit less oaky than the estates other cabernetbased wines, which are aged entirely in Taransaud barrels (this one is about threequarters Taransaud). The higher percentage of franc here adds freshness, as well as notes of black tea and rustic herbs. Energetic and firmly built, but quite backward in the context of the vintage. Still, theres terrific fruit here in comparison, the Cariad seems less sweet today.