Amazing aromas of dark fruit and sweet, subtle tobacco. Complex. Multidimensional. Hypnotic. Full-bodied, very plush and rich on the palate with layers of fruit and tannins. Yet, it remains cool.

Coming from the Madrona Ranch and a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cariad is a more powerful, concentrated, burly effort that has a massive amount of black and blue fruits, charcoal, savory herbs, and graphite-like aromas and flavors. This beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, loads of tannins, a deep, stacked mid-palate, and a huge finish. Where the Tychson Hill is power married to elegance, this beauty is more power and structure. It needs at least a decade of cellaring.

If it's possible for a 94-point wine to be disappointing, I guess that describes Colgin's 2016 Cariad on this occasion. Dried sage nicely accents the black cherry fruit on the nose, while the full-bodied palate comes across as slightly coarse in the context of its various stablemates and even other vintages of this wine, nevertheless finishing long and velvety. It's an excellent wine, just not a top bottle of Colgin.

Cabernet Sauvignon (approx 50%), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Backbone from bought-in fruit from Madrone Ranch. Richer soils than Tychson Hill with smaller particles. Quite a slope. Merlot unusual but it adds perfume and silkiness. Hillside Cabernet vines are 35 years old. Lower area is 20 years. 3.5 ha. Very deep crimson/purple. Not as aromatic as the Tychson Hill. Very sweet and polished. Less refreshing than Tychson Hill. Slightly more like a liqueur than a wine. Merlot infuses the whole with blackberry fruit. Cold tea leaves on the end. (JR)