Colgin Cellars

Ann Colgin spent the first chapter of her career in the art auction world before serving as the Director of Sotheby's West Coast Wine Department in the 1990s. In 1988, she attended the Napa Valley Wine Auction, igniting the fascination that led her to found Colgin Cellars in 1992. The first commercial release garnered immediate acclaim, with Robert Parker awarding 96 points to the inaugural 1992 Herb Lamb and propelling the estate into prominence. Colgin's philosophy of terroir centers on capturing the spirit of unique geographical and geological sites from hillside vineyards planted on north or east-facing slopes, with the aim of expressing freshness of fruit, perfume and floral nuances of variety, and minerality from the soil itself.

• Ann Colgin earned degrees from Vanderbilt University and New York University; built a career in fine art at Christie's and then Sotheby's before entering wine
• Co-founded Colgin Cellars in 1992 with Fred Schrader; the two later separated and Schrader went on to found Schrader Cellars
• First commercial release (1992 Herb Lamb) sourced from 13 rows of the Herb Lamb vineyard in the foothills of Howell Mountain AVA
• Philosophy centers on mid-slope hillside sites, precision farming, and wines of perfume, freshness, and minerality

Colgin Cellars has received 21 Wine Advocate 100-point scores since its founding in 1992. In 2005, Robert Parker named Colgin Cellars 'One of the Fifty Greatest Wine Estates in the World,' cementing its reputation as a benchmark for Napa Valley excellence. Robert Parker personally awarded 12 different Colgin wines perfect scores from 2002 onward, and his colleague Lisa Perrotti-Brown gave the 2015 IX Estate Red and the 2015 Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 100 points. The Napa Valley winery sells fewer than 2,800 cases per year to a handful of upscale restaurants and to members on its selective mailing list.

• 21 Wine Advocate 100-point scores in total; Robert Parker personally awarded 12 of those perfect scores
• Named 'One of the Fifty Greatest Wine Estates in the World' by Robert Parker in 2005
• 2015 Tychson Hill and 2015 IX Estate Red both received 100 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Wine Advocate
• Fewer than 2,800 cases produced annually; allocated through a selective mailing list and select high-end restaurants

Colgin Cellars owns two vineyards, Tychson Hill in St. Helena and IX Estate on Vaca Hill in the Pritchard Hill area, and holds a long-term lease on the Cariad Vineyard, also in St. Helena. The site that became Tychson Hill was purchased in 1996. The vineyard's origins trace to 1860; it was owned and farmed by Josephine Tychson in the 1880s, the first woman to build a winery in Napa Valley. Ann Colgin replanted the site with heritage clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the first Colgin vintage from Tychson Hill was 2000. IX Estate is a 125-acre parcel in the Pritchard Hill area overlooking Lake Hennessey; it was purchased in 1998, and with the help of vineyard manager David Abreu, 20 acres of vines were ultimately planted (16 acres to red Bordeaux varieties and 4 acres to Syrah). The gravity-fed winery at IX Estate was completed in 2002 and produced the first IX Estate Red and IX Estate Syrah that vintage.

• Tychson Hill (6 acres, 2.4 ha): volcanic Aiken Very Stony Loam soil north of St. Helena; heritage Cabernet Sauvignon clones; first Colgin vintage 2000
• IX Estate (20 planted acres of 125 total): Pritchard Hill area at approximately 1,100 to 1,400 feet elevation; volcanic soils; Bordeaux varieties and Syrah; gravity-fed winery completed 2002
• Cariad vineyard (leased): David Abreu's Madrona Ranch in St. Helena; volcanic and gravelly soils; Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux blend; first vintage 1999
• All vineyards are hillside-planted on north or east-facing slopes to maximize freshness, perfume, and mineral expression

At the inception of Colgin Cellars, Ann Colgin enlisted winemaker Helen Turley and vineyard manager David Abreu to lead the estate's development. Helen Turley's role was succeeded by her assistant Mark Aubert, who oversaw all winemaking operations from 1998 to 2006. In 2006, Aubert passed the torch to Allison Tauziet, who continues to oversee all winemaking duties; she joined as Assistant Winemaker in 2005, was promoted to Winemaker in 2007, and elevated to Director of Winemaking in 2018. The wines are aged in 100 percent new French oak barrels from Taransaud in the Cognac region of France, for roughly two years, with minimal racking prior to bottling. The reputation rests on the quality of four wines: Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Cariad Napa Valley Red, IX Estate Napa Valley Red, and IX Estate Syrah. Tychson Hill is the exclusive source of a 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, while IX Estate produces both a Bordeaux blend and a pure Syrah. Ann Colgin has named the 2002 Tychson Hill her favorite wine and vintage from Colgin Cellars, calling it 'our first 100-point wine and from the first vineyard I planted on my own property.'

• Three winemakers in over 30 years: Helen Turley (1992 to 1998), Mark Aubert (1998 to 2006), Allison Tauziet (2007 to present; Director of Winemaking from 2018). Vineyard manager David Abreu throughout
• Aged approximately 24 months in 100 percent new French oak barrels from Taransaud cooperage; each parcel and variety vinified separately; gravity-fed winery completed 2002 at the northern end of IX Estate
• 2002 Tychson Hill Cabernet Sauvignon: Colgin's first 100-point wine from Robert Parker; Ann Colgin's personally named favorite vintage
• IX Estate Red: Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot; multiple 100-point vintages (2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018). IX Estate Syrah comes from two cooler blocks on Pritchard Hill. Cariad is named for the Welsh word for love and is a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend first produced 1999

In November 2017, Ann Colgin and her husband Joe Wender agreed to sell 60 percent of Colgin Cellars to LVMH; the deal included the brand, the winery, and 26 acres of vineyards. Under the agreement, Ann Colgin and Joe Wender continue to hold 40 percent equity and maintain their leadership functions. A pivotal factor in the decision was LVMH's formation of Vins d'Exception, a showcase for wines of extraordinary character; Colgin stands alongside Clos des Lambrays, Chateau Cheval Blanc, and Chateau d'Yquem as the only American winery in this collection. The wines are sold primarily through an exclusive client list and distributed to high-end restaurants and retailers in the US and more than thirty countries globally.

• November 2017: LVMH acquired 60 percent stake in Colgin Cellars; Ann Colgin and Joe Wender retain 40 percent and continue leading the winery
• Day-to-day team unchanged: Ann Colgin, Joe Wender, COO Paul Roberts (Master Sommelier), and winemaker Allison Tauziet all remained in their roles
• Only American wine in LVMH's Vins d'Exception portfolio, which also includes Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau d'Yquem, and Domaine du Clos des Lambrays
• Distributed through an exclusive mailing list and to high-end restaurants and retailers in the US and more than 30 countries