“IX Estate” Syrah

Tasting Notes

The 2019 “IX Estate” Syrah shines with glimmering notes of violets, mandarin zest, and tarragon. Underlying savory layers of tapenade, barbecue spice, and tea leaves accentuate the soil-driven notes of forest floor and iron. A silken, enveloping texture unfolds across the palate finishing with super fine tannins and a burst of salivating flavors.

Climatic Conditions

The 2019 growing season paralleled the moderate season of 2018, with several, key elements distinguishing it both at the beginning and the end. An abundance of rainfall came in the winter of 2019 and continued into early May. Vines thrived under such verdant growing conditions. Enhancing the airflow of the vine by spacing out the shoots and adjusting leaves in the late spring was an important yet laborious element for success in 2019. Nature yielded vines with an abundant crop, a result of the extra soil moisture and nutrients. We adjusted crop size using strict criteria for cluster thinning to bring the vines into balance.

A peaceful summer ensued, leading us into ideal ripening conditions throughout September. In early October, a sequence of very cold nights downshifted the pace of ripening, just as the days were shortening. Harvest took place during the middle two weeks of October. The cold nights and cooler days captured freshness, infusing intensity of both flavor and perfume into the wines. Seamless tannins and a strikingly gliding texture define the wines of the 2019 vintage. Though not lacking for structure, the wines are complete in their youth, making for undeniable, immediate enjoyment. Patience in the cellar will only highlight their soaring aromatics, as the palpable fruit integrates with the more subtle savory character.

Tasting Notes

The 2017 “IX Estate” Syrah possesses a myriad of intricate flavors. Combining floral aromatics of dried potpourri, violets, and mandarin zest with hints of white pepper, saucisson, and niçoise olive, the 2017 “IX Estate” Syrah is both savory and luscious. Delectable notes of ripe blackberry and black licorice beguile the senses. The suave, layered tannins on the palate lead to an extraordinarily long and decadent finish.

Climatic Conditions

The 2017 vintage began with double the average rainfall in winter, refilling the water reserves, and delaying the beginning of the season. Warm weather in late April triggered a beautiful, rapid flowering, and an extended heat wave in late May forced vines to taper off growth and focus efforts on the berries. The summer of 2017 experienced a few, intense heat events, whose ultimate effect on our sites was to minimize the berry size and enhance concentration of the fruit. The balance between the canopy and the fruit in 2017 was unlike other years—the lusher than normal green shoots and leaves of springtime added extra protection to the crop during the frequent heat waves. Harvest began in the middle of September, with cold nights and sunny days, and continued at a rapid pace until its completion on October 6th.

In 2017, thoughtful decisions about canopy management, irrigation, crop thinning, and picking dates led us to craft wines that enhanced the strengths of this growing season, such as its aromatic complexity, greater natural acidity, and pleasurable structure—qualities that will guarantee a long evolution in bottle. In the near term, the wines of 2017 express an inward nature, yet they hold within them a resilient spirit.

Tasting Notes

The 2015 “IX Estate” Syrah intrigues the senses in this delectable expression of a remarkable vintage. Notes of ripe plum, macerated cherries, and anise tempt the nose. Chocolate and orange liqueur entice the palate yet are tempered in their unctuousness by notes of cracked pepper and sea salt. The 2015 “IX Estate” Syrah is brimming with rich, full flavors that lead into an incredibly luscious texture on the palate. The 2015 Syrah exemplifies the palpable energy in this electric vintage, where the warmth of the season intensifies the vibrant flavors intrinsic to IX Estate.

Climatic Conditions

2015 continued the streak of exquisite vintages produced from the extended drought that began in 2013 in the Napa Valley. Much of the rain for the 2015 season came before winter even began. A long pause, until early February, followed, when a large storm came. These alternating wet and dry conditions, combined with a warm winter, led to an early budbreak at the beginning of March. A long, cool spring ensued, bringing sporadic growing conditions leading into bloom. Uneven weather during flowering led to very light clusters with few berries, delivering a small crop. What began as a challenge ultimately resulted in a blessing. The small crop with tiny berries ripened quickly over the warm summer and fall, bringing fruit with vivid color and exciting levels of flavor. We crafted the 2015 vintage with an emphasis on preserving the aromatic exuberance of the wines. The lush textures and inky color in the nascent wines guided us toward gentler extraction that would preserve the wine’s balance and let the energy shine through.

Tasting Notes

With its tantalizing interplay of sweet and savory, the 2013 "IX Estate" Syrah exhibits the hallmarks of an unforgettable vintage. With a captivating perfume of red raspberry and crushed rocks, the vibrant nose is interspersed with scents of peppered meats and barbecue spice rub. Scents of IX Estate’s signature garrigue, like the native sage and fresh bay laurel leaves, bring even more complexity to this powerfully concentrated wine. The iron component of the weathered, volcanic soils lends a strong note of pure minerality to the wine. Vivid, red flavors fill the palate along with perfectly plush tannins that are salivating and satisfying. The 2013 “IX Estate” Syrah has an incredible viscosity to the palate that helps carry the effusive aromas into its long, persistent finish.

Climatic Conditions

With the ideal blend of cool and warm weather at the right time, the 2013 growing season gave us perfectly ripened fruit, with purely preserved flavors, and inky grape skins. What was somewhat atypical about 2013 was the rainfall pattern, as we were in our second year of a drought. All of our winter rain fell in late 2012 and a small amount in January. Beyond January, we had no rain, yet the weather, as it relates to temperature and fog patterns, was absolutely magical. With a classically timed budbreak to start the season, then gorgeous warm weather during bloom, the vines set a homogenous and fruitful crop—an ideal setup to harvest. In a sense, the 2013 season was “made to order.” By mid-September, we reached a holding pattern of sunny and mild weather. By that point, the berries had attained an unbelievable intensity of flavor, color, and delicious tannin. The 2013 vintage was one that tested our courage to pick early rather than our patience to ripen the fruit longer. That same fortitude and self-restraint carried into the winemaking. With fruit so rich in flavor and texture, we found the wines extracted very effortlessly, and thus the balance between power and elegance in the 2013 vintage was achieved with shorter macerations in the cellar.

Tasting Notes

The perfume of the 2011 “IX Estate” Syrah is instantly captivating with seductive notes of tangerine peel, candied violets, and jasmine tea. The wine enchants with an ethereal perfume, as well as the classic Syrah notes of cured meat and olive. The umami flavors of smoked meat marry beautifully with dark, floral notes and an intense, saline minerality. The texture is lush, with a beautiful mid-palate and a silky finish. The tannins are broad and layered. The 2011 “IX Estate” Syrah is exceptionally silky.

Climatic Conditions

There is enormous beauty to be found in the 2011 vintage. With a wet start to the season, we had a significant advantage in that each of our sites is planted on hillsides with well-draining, rocky soils. Given the wet spring, we experienced one of our latest blooms on record, in June. The summer followed with relatively mild temperatures during which we worked diligently in the vineyard to reduce the canopy and bring the vines into balance. At veraison in late August, we removed enough clusters to ensure a consistent, even ripening. We began our harvest the final week in September and picked virtually all of our Merlot and Syrah in this period. We picked the Cabernet Sauvignon the second half of October and our conscientious team ensured only the most pristine berries were sorted into the fermentation tanks. The wines were made with a slightly more delicate hand in order to capture their freshness and respect the fruit. The resulting wines of the 2011 vintage are brilliantly aromatic. They have round tannin and are bolstered by a bright, balanced level of acidity. The flavors of each site truly stand out in this vintage, and the quality of the wines is a testament to the quality of the sites upon which they are grown.

Tasting Notes

The fragrance from the 2009 “IX Estate” Syrah is remarkably expressive and inviting. As the wine evolves with air, it becomes savory in nature, with tempting notes of meat, and dark chocolate coming through. On the palate, mouthwatering tannins with a fine-grained quality are buttressed by tremendous acidity. Overall, the 2009 “IX Estate” Syrah has an unctuous, pleasing structure confirms the wine is built to last.

Climatic Conditions

The 2009 vintage was one characterized by balance. Budbreak started right on schedule in mid-March. Though we had only received about two-thirds of our normal rainfall over the winter, we were fortunate to have a few, small rain events in April and May, which would tide the vines over through the beginning of summer. A fairly classic weather pattern set in over the summertime. We experienced only a few days of heat over 100 degrees, which was followed by our traditional fog pattern coming in from the bay. The fog continued through much of August, which lengthened the early maturation stage of the fruit, giving ample time for the vines to create fruit deep in pigment and complex in flavor. Several small heat events in September rounded out the flavor and tannin development, allowing us to begin picking the Merlot and Syrah. Gorgeous, mild weather the first week of October provided perfect conditions for ripening the Cabernet, which we picked steadily through the middle of the month. We finished harvest just before the cold and wet weather hit on October 13. The wines of this vintage are inky in color, fresh in flavor, and have incredibly silky and approachable tannins.

Tasting Notes

The 2007 “IX Estate” Syrah boasts highly complex and concentrated aromatics. Once fermentation began, the wines released tantalizing aromas that have carried through to bottling and beyond. Thanks to the cool weather during the growing season, the wine is very fresh and very expressive. Perfumed by both florals and spice, the wine possesses darker notes of cured meats, cracked black pepper, and black olive that precede the IX Estate vineyard’s characteristic aromas of wild sage and bay laurel. The 2007 “IX Estate” Syrah has freshness and approachability, yet the intricate flavors, rich structure, and natural acidity allow the wine to evolve beautifully for fifteen years or more.

Climatic Conditions

The 2007 vintage was defined by an exceptional growing season from beginning to end. The Napa Valley received just 60% of normal rainfall, encouraging our vines to begin budbreak a week ahead of schedule. A mild spring followed, with several light rains that helped the vines to cope with the mild drought. Sunny, beautiful weather during bloom resulted in fruitful clusters that were uniform in size and maturity. A wonderfully moderate summer followed, with cooler than average temperatures, allowing for slow, even development of the berries. By late August, the berries were intensely pigmented and showing signs of outstanding quality. A brief heat wave around Labor Day resulted in our earliest picking of Merlot ever at Colgin. But, cool weather soon followed, allowing the Cabernet to mature longer, and to develop ripe tannins, at lower sugar levels, with great natural acidity. Overall, the 2007 vintage was truly a winemaker’s dream. The wines are defined by their intense color, their deep aromatics, and their coating and supple tannins.

Tasting Notes

Since its bottling, the 2005 “IX Estate” Syrah dazzled with intoxicating aromas. Initially, tobacco leaf, bacon fat, and lilac express the elusive characteristics of the Hermitage clone. Meatiness, in the form of succulent grilled duck, white pepper, and a faint note of orange zest intermingle on the palate. Deliciously pliant in texture, the wine envelops the palate, supported by the vibrant acidity of the 2005 vintage, which has continued to gain weight as it ages.

Climatic Conditions

Typical, winter rains halted early, leaving a dry, mild March, but spring rains returned, with frequency, through June, delaying the fruit set. The summer was temperate, with few heat events, yielding one of the most bountiful crops since 1997. Thinning was key to achieve ripeness and flavor development. Mild days and cool nights continued after veraison, allowing ample time for flavor development. The wines of the 2005 vintage display elegant richness and impeccably balanced acidities.

Tasting Notes

The 2003 “IX Estate” Syrah was crafted from four, distinct plots into a wine of high intensity and perfume. Notes of blueberry, wild herbs, and mellow tobacco intertwine with the heady, floral perfume frequently found in this wine. The palate is an experience in true suavity, as the ripeness reached in the vintage created full-bodied tannins, making this a wine to age gracefully for many decades.

Climatic Conditions

The unpredictable nature of the 2003 growing season began with a series of heat events in March, proceeded by a wet April. A long, cool summer allowed a beautiful evolution of flavor in the fruit, ahead of sugar accumulation. Heat returned in September, spurring harvest forward after many expected a late year. The 2003 vintage emerged with tremendous character and longevity after several challenges.