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Wine Description
The Story
Cariad, the Welsh word for “love”, is a Bordeaux-style red wine blended from three outstanding vineyards owned and managed by David Abreu. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Madrona Ranch are blended with small amounts of fruit from Thorevilos and Howell Mountain, producing a wine of enormous proportions with a classic structure that is the Colgin hallmark: a plethora of vibrant aromas, voluptuous at mid-palate, with impeccable balance and an exceptionally long finish. A wine as seductive as its name.
Wine Information
While composing this blend of 55% Cabernet, 25% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc from Madrona Ranch and 9% Petite Verdot from Thorevilos vineyard, we looked to capture a truly Bordeaux style blend with California pedigree. In order to make the best blend year after year, we rely on our French consultant, Alain Raynaud, to give us his thoughtful insight. Slowly and meticulously we construct the blend together, and the 2005 vintage was no exception.
Winemaker notes from Allison Tauziet:
"The 2005 vintage of our left bank style Cariad blend makes a formidable comparison to a true Bordeaux first growth. In a cooler vintage such as 2005, we truly experienced weather more comparable to that in Bordeaux, and I think that is reflected in the freshness and depth of this wine. The gravelly, fresh leather and mineral aromatics mimic those in one of my favorite wines of Pauillac, Chateau Latour. The Cariad boasts more black fruit notes of sweet black cherries, black licorice, floral and honeysuckle, yet it also flirts with an elusive savory character you find in asian plum sauce and soy sauce. This vintage of Cariad really showcases the balance between richness and elegance that you can achieve through careful winemaking and a "grand cru" type vineyard site. The fantastic texture of the wine is built mostly around its backbone, the 20 year old Cabernet vines at Madrona ranch. They portray deliciously unctuous tannin, with layers on layers of glycerol. The wine is remarkably plush and soft at this moment, yet it is an undeniably serious wine. The 2005 Cariad will improve with 3 to 5 years of cellar age, and will drink well for two to three decades."
We released 900 cases of 2005 Colgin Cariad in November 2008. Release price $290.