2018 Colgin Cellars Cariad Red, Napa Valley, USA (750ml)

WINEMAKER NOTES:

The 2018 “Cariad” has a regal, stately character with notes of classic dark fruits and earth. Notes of plum, licorice candy, and forest floor permeate the senses along with gentle hints of floral blossoms. The wines expansive palate is supported by magnificent tannins and a finish bursting with flavor. The 2018 vintage of Cariad is brimming with energy and finesse.

TASTING NOTES:

Blended of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine has a deep purple-black color and slips out of the glass with the most seductive black fruit preserves notions of crme de cassis, blueberry pie and baked plums plus hints of Indian spices, lavender, mocha and licorice with a waft of cardamom. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and spicy, it delivers a wonderfully powerful expression of this vintage with firm yet plush tannins, finishing very long and hedonic.

– Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 98 pts.

Incredible aromas of blackcurrants, licorice, blackberries. black mushrooms, crushed stones, cement and flowers. Full-bodied with wonderfully polished, refined tannins. So long. Great tannin integration. Goes on for minutes. Rich. Best in 2025, but already so amazing to drink now.

– James Suckling, 98 pts.

What a show of ripe, pure and unadorned fruit, with an immense core of cassis, warmed kirsch and black Mission fig paste flavors that glide through as they’re given center stage, while beautifully integrated alder and warm earth notes flow underneath. There’s serious drive for the long haul, with flickers of anise and violet darting in on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2040.

– Wine Spectator, 97 pts.