2011 Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Deep, bright ruby. Reticent but pure nose opens with air to show highly complex scents of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, graphite, rosemary, mocha and wet rock. Very pretty, slightly wild flavors of black fruits, juniper berry and violet are very young and wound up but already convey a strong impression of the site. Finishes with edgy tannins that will require patience. The estate did a lot of crop thinning to eliminate the underripe berries and hasten the ripening process for the rest (the wine is actually 14.8% alcohol in bottle). Boasts terrific definition and avoids the greenness shown by so many Cabernets from this vintage. This vintage marked the latest harvest here: between October 16 and 19.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Saturated, bright ruby-red. Black raspberry, blueberry, graphite and a whiff of coffee bean on the nose. Classically dry and polished, showing superb precision to its savory dark berry and mineral flavors. Perhaps less baby fat than a warmer year, but wonderfully pure and delineated wine with the intensity and substantial broad tannins to support a graceful evolution in bottle. This tightened up in the glass. Incidentally, pHs for the Colgin 2011s are in the 3.8 to 3.9 range, which winemaker Allison Tauziet described as slightly lower than average.
Fabulous aromas of blueberry, spice, and iron character. Pure fruit. Full body with wonderfully integrated tannins and a mineral, blackberry and iron undertone. I love the balance with this wine. So delicious now.
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill opens with the most exquisite of aromatics. Sage, rosemary, graphite, tobacco, menthol, black cherries, plums all flesh out in a dark, voluptuous wine loaded with class. The interplay of savory notes with layers of fruit is simply breathtaking. Vivid, nuanced and beautifully structured, the 2011 is firing on all cylinders. There is a level of aromatic lift and pure finesse that is simply striking. Hints of orange peel and white pepper add an exotic flair on the close. Tychson Hill is Cabernet Sauvignon with splashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Shades of the 2001 linger in the empty glass. (AG) 97+
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.