2016 Colgin Meritage Cariad Proprietary Red Napa Valley

WA100 The 2016 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has wonderful purity of black fruits—preserved plums, blackcurrants and black raspberries—with nuances of iron ore, crushed rocks, fertile loam, cedar chest and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, concentrated, muscular and built like a brick house, it has very firm, grainy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing incredibly long and mineral. This should be very, very long lived.
Winemaker Notes: The 2016 “Cariad” is inviting and magnetic. Driven more by its energetic presence than any one detail, the 2016 is expansive both aromatically and texturally. A spectrum of dark fruits combines with notes of incense, licorice, and dry rub spices to form an intoxicating bouquet. Crushed rock, cobble, and loam anchor the wine with a strong sense of minerality. Flavors saturate the intense mid palate. The “Cariad” gains momentum as it builds layers across the palate, finishing with extraordinary persistence. The 2016 “Cariad” is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot.
VIN100 The highlight in this range today, the 2016 Cariad is utterly magnificent. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot give the wine soaring aromatic intensity and striking savoriness to play off the racy, forward fruit. Time in barrel has done wonders to meld all the elements together. Today, the Cariad is dense, explosive and super-expressive. And yet my sense is that the 2016 still has quite a bit of room to grow. Even at this early stage, the 2016 is a total stunner. The symbiosis of David Abreu fruit and Allision Tauziet’s winemaking makes for an electric, unforgettable 2016. Don’t miss it.