2004 IX Estate Syrah
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Tasting notes
Dark red-ruby. Explosive, slightly liqueur-like aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, orange zest, gunflint, black pepper and sexy oak. Spectacular on the palate: savory, thick and dense, yet with lovely shape and definition to its flavors of dark berries, gunflint, licorice and dark chocolate. Strong acidity gives this compellingly sweet Syrah excellent balancing energy and a light touch. The peacock's tail of a finish spreads out horizontally to saturate the entire palate. Between the wine's fresh acidity, incredible retention of youthful fruit and substantial succulent tannins, this beauty is just at the beginning of a long plane of peak maturity. The crop was light in 2004 as the canopies were quite small and some of the shoots were short and unable to support full clusters, according to winemaker Allison Tauziet. I've been a fan of this wine since the outset but this is the best bottle I've yet tasted. (ST)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Good ruby-red color. Captivating wild scents of black fruits, licorice, menthol, sage, black olive, truffle and leather. Wonderfully dense and fresh, with primary dark berry flavors framed by crushed rock and complicated by a gamey element. This beautifully balanced syrah offers an uncanny blend of energy and lushness. Finishes with building but extremely fine-grained tannins and outstanding persistence. Approachable now but should evolve gracefully for at least several years.
Medium ruby. Knockout pure aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and white pepper. Densely packed, highly concentrated and intense, with saline and meaty nuances adding complexity to the wild dark berry and violet flavors. This wonderfully sweet and thoroughly ripe wine should develop more nuance with a few years of bottle aging. These syrah vines planted around the winery overlooking Lake Hennessy include three clones from Cote-Rotie and one from Hermitage.
About the producer
Colgin has been producing some of the finest Cabernet blends in Napa Valley since its first vintage in 1992. Within just 13 years, it was recognised as one of the top 50 wine estates in the world by Robert Parker.