2017 Colgin Cariad

In the world of heavily allocated, cult Napa Valley producers, Colgin is in the top tier competing with the likes of Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate. Colgin produce wines in tiny quantities and with most of their bottles taken up by those lucky enough to be on their private mailing list, or by select restaurants in the US, Europe and Asia; these wines are rarely offered for sale at retail.

Other Reviews....
Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Cariad displays a very deep purple-black color. It bursts from the glass with an immediately compelling first waft of blueberry compote, plum preserves, licorice and fertile loam with emerging hints of candied violets, mossy tree bark, oolong tea and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is surprisingly elegant with a firm backbone of ripe, finely pixilated tannins and bold freshness, featuring all the black fruit layers suggested on the nose arranged with beautiful composure, finishing very long on a provocative iron ore note. Drink 2024 - 2054.
96+ points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate (Nov 2019)

Colgin's 2017 Cariad opens with captivating aromatics and tons of sheer presence. In 2017, the Cariad has less Merlot than is typical, while the Franc is on the higher side - a combination that gives the wine much of its lift and overall feel. Racy and nuanced to the core, Cariad is endowed with a feeling of soaring intensity that is hard to fully describe. It is another positively brilliant wine in this range of 2017s from Colgin. Drink 2025-2037.
95 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

This is really mesmerizing to taste with plums, currants, turmeric and nutmeg on the nose and palate. Some juniper, too. Turns to mineral and stone. Pure fruit. Full-bodied, yet tight and composed with beautiful, ripe fruit that remains cool and poised. Firm, lightly chewy tannins. March 2021 release. This needs at least three or four years to come around. Try after 2024.
98 points
James Suckling

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2017 Cariad is another sensational wine from Allison Tauziet. It offers a beautiful blue fruit character as well as plenty of violets, tobacco, dark chocolate, and gravelly earth. This beauty is full-bodied, incredibly pure and focused, brilliantly balanced, and has a great, great finish. It needs a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and, as with the Tychson Hill, I suspect will still be drinking beautifully at age 30. Drink 2024 - 2054.
97 points
Jeb Dunnuck