Thinking of taking the plunge this fall and get some Colgin, assuming I get an offer, had it once at a reataurant and I loved it. Which wines are offered in the fall? How would people who have had all the high end Cali wines Harlan, Bond, Bryant etc. would you rate colgin. Ju
Colgin is a stalwart in the Napa cult wine grouping. Almost all of the Napa cult wines have changed some over the years, increasing ABV and depth of fruit. Most will age very gracefully over 20 years. Most need aging or lots of decant time so I am curious what vintage Colgin you had at the restaurant. You can also cheat a little. The former assistant winemaker at Colgin is now the winemaker for Cliff Lede and composed their first 100 point wine. Might be more readily available and cheaper if you can’t get on the mailing list.
Example:
Marshall Gelb opened a 2003 Colgin today for his birthday to accompany BBQ Flannery hangers, Fresno State corn and Thao Farms Chinese long beans.
If you have to ask…check out the auction market for these wines. You can often get them close to original release price, with a decent degree of age. Beware of the occasional pickle barrel wines, I have had older ones that reeked of dill pickles due to some oak choices. Suspect this is better in the 2000’s. For new releases, be prepared to go $350++. Since they sold a substantial share of the winery to the French, there is not much chance these will get discounted in the new era.
Yea, I’ve seen those. Just something about getting it direct from the winery, knowing it’s been stored properly etc. I guess it’s just being new to this level of wine purchasing.