Another perfect wine from Ann Colgin and her winemaking team is the 2013 IX Proprietary Red Estate, a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. An absolutely compelling wine, with notes of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and cassis, it has the full smorgasbord of black and blue fruits, wonderfully integrated, toasty oak, acidity and tannin, a floral note that is unmistakable, and great richness, density and purity. It is an utterly exceptional wine and a tribute to not only a great vineyard, but impeccable winemaking and upbringing. It should drink well for 30+ years as well.
I probably would have rated the 2012 IX Estate a triple-digit score if it hadn’t been followed by this otherworldly 2013 IX Estate. One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, this insanely good effort offers a complex, layered bouquet of darker currants, white truffle, iron, tobacco, graphite, and lead pencil. Possessing more than a passing resemblance to the 2009 Château Latour, it’s full-bodied, has a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great, great finish. It doesn’t get any better, and this legendary Napa Valley red can be drunk any time over the coming three decades or more.
Winery Notes
Rated 100 - Deep garnet-black in color, the 2013 IX Estate needs a LOT of swirling to begin to bring out notes of beef dripping, charcuterie, garrigue, mossy tree bark, and black truffles, giving way to a muted core of stewed plums, blackcurrant pastilles, candied violets, and dried mulberries. The full-bodied palate explodes with a powerhouse of black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super velvety tannins and amazing tension, finishing very long and multilayered. It needs time! - The Wine Independent
The aromas to this are perfect with black truffle, sage, blueberry and wet earth. Changes all the time. Full body with lots of richness and fruit. The intensity is electric. Chewy tannins yet polished and silky. It lasts for minutes on the palate. A joy to taste (drink) now but it's made for long-term aging.
A magnificent, towering wine, the 2013 IX Estate, hits all the right notes. The interplay of opulent fruit, minerality, savory nuances and mountain tannin is utterly captivating. The most structured and backward of Colgin's Cabernet Sauvignon-based 2013s, the IX Estate is going to need a few years to fully come together, but it is stratospheric, even today. Lavender, sage, mint and a host of mineral-inflected notes meld into the deeply satisfying finish. I can't wait to see how this ages.
A powerful expression of rich, detailed, polished Cabernet, with layer upon layer of blackberry, licorice, kirsch, graphite and savory herb flavors. Impeccably balanced and nuanced, authoritative and refined in the same sip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2019 through 2025. 1,880 cases made.