2006 IX Estate

The hugely rich 2006s here have pHs a bit higher than normal but also slightly elevated acidity levels, noted winemaker Allison Tauziet. Very little racking was needed, she told me, and the wines "benefited from extra lees contact, which gave them both juiciness and richness." The 2007s, from a year that featured small clusters, hold out the potential to be even greater, but it was the sheer sex appeal of the 2006s that caught my attention in March. Co-owner Ann Colgin noted that the 2007 harvest was the longest one to date, spreading out over a full six weeks.

This was one of the most consistently outstanding set of wines on my March tour, as the fruit in both 2005 and 2006 benefited from good hang time. Despite high pHs and alcohol levels consistently in the low to mid 15% range, both of these vintages offer lovely verve and definition. To my palate, these wines are easier to drink than-and every bit as ageworthy as-many of the Colgin wines from 2002 and 2003 but with no loss of richness. According to Ann Colgin, in 2005 the team dropped crop no less than four different times during the season, ultimately throwing away up to 75% of the fruit. Following the departure of long-time winemaker Mark Aubert, Allison Tauziet vinified the 2007 vintage, with Alain Raynaud of Chateau Quinault in St. Emilion continuing to serve as consultant.