2002 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard is a wonderful wine on its own merit, but by no means is it as impressive as the other three efforts from Ann Colgin and her husband, Joe Wender. This wine has an opaque plum/ruby color, a scent of unsmoked, high-class tobacco, underbrush, spice box, black currants, chocolate and espresso. It is seriously endowed, elegant, and again, fully mature, but without the nobility, complexity and sheer class of the Tychson Hill or the IX Estate. This wine should be drunk over the next 7-8 years. The debut vintage of the Tychson Hill Vineyard, which is located right on Route 29, north of St. Helena, was 2002. I gave it a prefect score seven years ago, and there’s no reason to change that. My only surprise from my recent tasting is that the wine has evolved slightly faster than I would have thought. Tel. (707) 963-0999
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(this north-facing vineyard was the last to be picked in 2002) Saturated ruby. Highly aromatic nose of black raspberry, violet, mocha and smoked meat, lifted by sexy baking spices. Dense, chewy and thick but leavened by its sheer extract and sappiness. This has virtually liqueur-like ripeness but comes across as fresher and fruitier than the young 2003. Finishes with outstanding length and substantial ripe tannins. Winemaker Aubert says that of the Colgin sites, this vineyard produces fruit highest in phenolics.
Saturated full ruby. Great sappy aromas of black raspberry liqueur, espresso and tarry oak. Wonderfully ripe and sweet, with a distinctly lusher texture than the comparatively rigorous 2001 version. Offers a compelling roasted richness and superb depth of flavor. The extraction seems near-perfect here. Finishes with a wave of supple tannins that reach the front teeth. This may surpass the 2001.
About the producer
Colgin has been producing some of the finest Cabernet blends in Napa Valley since its first vintage in 1992. Within just 13 years, it was recognised as one of the top 50 wine estates in the world by Robert Parker.