2011 Syrah IX Estate

One of the questions I am often asked is what separates the elite wineries from the rest. There are a lot of pieces to the answer, but one of the biggest and most important attributes all top wineries share is consistency. That’s what the 2011s are all about at Colgin. Ordinarily, I might say I was surprised to see how well the 2011s have developed, but I have also tasted more than enough Colgin wines over the years to be not at all surprised. This is a stellar set of 2011s from Ann Colgin, her husband Joe Wender and the team led by President Paul Roberts and Winemaker Allison Tauziet.

Who knew that an isolated spot in the eastern hills above St. Helena, in an area best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, would produce one of America’s most consistently spectacular Syrah bottlings? Apparently, Ann Colgin did.

Ann Colgin established Colgin Cellars in 1992 and then in 1998 purchased a 125-acre high-altitude estate on volcanic soil in the Pritchard Hill area overlooking Lake Hennessey. She and her husband Joe Wender named their property IX Estate because it was parcel #9 when previously owned by the Long Family and because Ann married Joe on September 9 (9/9). In 2000, they planted 20 acres of vines on IX Estate and in 2002 they completed their winery there and vinified their first harvest—not just the IX Red Wine (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) but a 100% Syrah that was stunningly rich and complex from the get-go. Subsequent vintages have only proven the site’s greatness for Syrah.

"It's not a question of good years and bad years up here on Pritchard Hill," said Ann Colgin. "It's a matter of quantity." The 2011 vintage, which she described as "a very pure expression of terroir and place," required a lot of sorting, and production of Colgin's estate wine was down 35%, with the syrah off by as much as 50%. The cabernet sauvignon on Pritchard Hill was harvested during the third week of October, but the fruit was largely protected from rot by good air movement and the vineyard's high altitude. As was the case at many other estates that routinely bottle very rich, high-pH cabernets with alcohol in the 15% range, the cooler 2011 conditions made for very complex and sharply delineated wines; in fact, these are among the best of the vintage. Incidentally, the 2012s here had not yet been assembled at the time of my early March visit. Winemaker Allison Tauziet carried out a lot of saignee to compensate for the bigger grapes in '12 owing to shatter, and my early look at some of the key components of the 2012s from barrel suggests another group of strong wines, in a distinctly riper style than the 2011s.

Winemaker Allison Tauziet has done a fabulous job with her 2011s, but that isn't totally surprising, as I have had the chance to taste these wines from barrel every six months with Tauziet, proprietors Ann Colgin and Joe Wender, and their new COO, Paul Roberts, who moved over from BOND last year. The 2011s from IX Estate have always been superb, as this site on Pritchard Hill sits above the fog and drains well, both critical in 2011. The Cabernet Sauvignon from Tychson Hill is without question the wine that has come the farthest over the last two years, as it was incredibly raw and disjointed for much of its early life. In 2011 yields were down about 30%, not terrible for a year in which many producers suffered far more devastating losses. The 2012s are typical of the year in their silky, racy personalities. The 2011s and 2012s resemble the 2001s and 2002s respectively. Readers who want to learn more about the 2011s might enjoy this short video interview with Tauziet in the Colgin cellar. Tauziet shares her views on 2012 straight from the sorting table in this video.

Winemaker Allison Tauziet describes 2010 as a year that started later than normal because of a cold March and early April. Conditions returned to normal in June, when temperatures increased. There were no heat spikes during the summer, but a period of heat in September allowed the fruit to catch up. The harvest took place between mid to late October. I also revisited the 2011s, which are now preliminary blends. Readers who want to learn more about Colgin might want to take a look at my video interview with Allison Tauziet filmed during the 2012 harvest. This is a striking set of wines from Ann Colgin, her husband Joe Wender, and the entire Colgin team.