2007 Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Healthy deep ruby-red. Dark, vibrant aromas of black raspberry, blackberry, black licorice and violet. Very sweet and deep but youthfully brooding, offering superb purity of fruit and a captivating sugar/acid balance. Still a baby on the whiplash of a finish, where its intense dark fruit flavors show lovely floral perfume but are currently partly masked by tongue-dusting tannins. This wine was silkier and more generous a few years ago but is going through a closed phase today.

Deep ruby-red. Blackberry, blueberry and pungent smoky minerality on the nose, with a floral topnote providing lift. Wonderfully sweet, lush and deep, with sexy flavors of black raspberry, smoked meat and licorice. Finishes very long and generous, with extremely supple tannins and an almost exotic sweetness. Very silky and elegant wine considering its sheer dimension.

From Ann Colgin’s tiny vineyard treasure just off of Highway 29, north of St. Helena, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard (225 cases produced) boasts an opaque blue/purple color as well as a refined and noble nose of charcoal, graphite, ink, blueberries, black currant liqueur, licorice, and cedarwood. Full-bodied with more tannin and structure than the Herb Lamb, this powerful, rich 2007 will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for 30 or more years. Colgin’s 2007s, which include their final vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Herb Lamb Vineyard, are all extraordinary, world-class wines. The change in winemakers from Mark Aubert to Allison Tauziet has gone very smoothly, and was made easier by the retention of the highly respected French wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, who told me that tasting Colgin’s 2007s gave him his greatest emotional high since he tasted the Chateau Pavie 2000! The 2008s will not be available until 2011, but it appears to be a very successful vintage for Colgin. The crop was tiny, and there were no frost issues, but several heat spikes did occur. Both Allison Tauziet and Alain Raynaud thought that the small berries provided powerful fruit intensity. Tel. (707) 963-0999; Fax (707) 963-0996