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  • Country ranking ?

    438
  • Producer ranking ?

    74
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    duck Breast & Lentil and Parsnip Salad

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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 impeccabl...

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Wine Information

The 2008 vintage was shaped by the La Nina weather pattern. We experienced just 60% of our average rainfall in the Napa Valley, and most of that rain came in the winter time and tapered off in mid March. Because of the dry spring, the dry soils prompted the vines to push their growth earlier than usual. This would set the stage for the remainder of the season. Because of an early budbreak, the vines were much more vulnerable to springtime fros...

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

nose

Youthful, Opulent and Seductive

Written Notes

(15.6% alcohol): Medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, blackberry, licorice, minerals, violet, mocha, musky soil tones and subtle spices. Wonderfully dense but alive, with an impression of fresh acidity giving the palate clarity, energy and a light touch. Not at all a thick wine--in fact, even a bit imploded today. This stands out for its primary energy and finishing lift. As backward as it is, it already communicates a strong personality and nicely restrained sweetness. In a reticent phase and likely to be long-lived. Finishes with serious dusty, spicy tannins and excellent length.

  • 94p

"The 2008 Cariad blend is composed of 54% Cabernet, 32% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc all from Madrona Ranch and 7% Petit Verdot from Thorevilos vineyard. 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.

The 2008 vintage of our "Cariad" is savory straight out of the glass thanks to the old vine Cabernet. Dark aromas of barbecue rub, broiled steak and black licorice infuse the wine. The Madrona Ranch components of the blend bring a vivid gravel and mineral graphite quality to the wine. Nuances of musk and clove of the Petit Verdot add intrigue to the nose. This wine has a deliciously layered texture on the entry, yet to me it also has the structure of a great first growth. As the "Cariad" ages, its aromas in particular become more and more complex, so we recommend a minimum of 5 to 7 years of aging in the cellar. The wine will then age for 20 or more years."

We released 350 cases of the 2008 "Cariad" in March 2012.

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Information

Origin

St. Helena, Napa Valley

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None
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