Colgin Jubilation Offer

I just got an email offering a new Colgin Jubilation wine. The email says “Jubilation is a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine created with a selection of barrels displaying earlier drinking characteristics from our three hillside vineyards. These barrels were blended to craft a wine ready to enjoy now with the lineage to age gracefully in your cellar. We intend to produce this wine in future vintages, Mother Nature willing.” The offer is for six bottles at $225 per bottle. Has anybody heard anything about this? Is it worth $225?

I am a member of theirs but have not. What vintage is this for? Looks like it’s their Merlot and has been produced for ~10 years already. Thanks for sharing.

They have had a Jubilation Merlot in the past, but this offer most definitely says it is a Cabernet Sauvignon. That, along with the fact that they say it is the first vintage (2016 for this, and they have had the Jubilation Merlot in the past) means this is a new wine for them.

I bought some out of faith that Colgin usually produces some really nice wine for the price, out-drinking some other Napa Valley stalwarts that like to charge 2 or 3 times as much.

I received the offer also. Considering their scores for 2016(WA) were 100 at $500 a bottle this seems reasonable.

The email I got said it is a new offering and is cab based. I called the winery to ask about the offer. They confirmed it is a new wine, is only available in six packs, should be shipped in early December and should be ready to drink upon arrival, though they expect it to be able to age 10 years or more.

Lets see. Half the price of their single vineyard offerings. Blend of multiple vineyards. Early drinking. A $225 second wine no doubt. My experience with “Named” winery seconds are they are not a very good value. Blankiet Prince of Hearts at $80 is one exception to that rule. AlG

Who charges 3x Colgin??

Off topic a bit here, but I think there are many exceptions - Altagracia, Bond Matriarch, Harlan Maiden, just to name a few - that are values, especially when compared to the “first” wine. I haven’t had the most recent vintages but I typically find the Maidens & Matriarchs a bit “dialed back” in comparison, and that is a good thing to me.

I agree!
Add second eagle flight to that list.

Best deal IMO is Bevan Ontogeny for a blend of lots/second wine.

I would add Realm The Bard alongside Bevan Ontogeny.

Spot on. $95 for Ontogeny and $110 for Bard seems OK considering. An early drinking styled declassified Cabernet for $225 is a sign of the times I guess. Regardless, they will sell out most assuredly which is why they are charging so much.

IIRC, Second flight is not a “second wine” in the traditional sense (declassified) … it’s the right bank style.

Starting in 2012, Screaming Eagle began releasing a second wine called “Second Flight”. The fruit used for Second Flight comes from young vines and declassified wine that was deemed not fit for Screaming Eagle. The debut release was offered to mailing list customers for $225 per bottle and included a vertical from 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

I was thinking the same. Then again for that price point there are other amazing wines. Rivers Marie, William and Mary, Myriad, Quivet all have great offerings in that 95-110 range.

verdict on the more recent cab-blend variation of Jubilation? got an email for a 6-pack allocation, curious to hear thoughts on recent experiences (since in the past it appears to have been merlot based)

I don’t consider The Bard to be a “second wine”, I consider it Realm’s flagship wine and one of the main reasons that Realm has a claim to being one of the best producers in the region - selling a wine of that quality (and style) at that price in Napa is unfortunately uncommon. I’d be willing to bet more thought and time goes into that wine than any of the others they produce. It doesn’t drink like a “lite” or scaled back or inferior version of any of the single vineyard designates or more expensive blends. I find it to be entirely its own thing. I also happen to prefer it to any of the other bottlings except the Bourn.

Agreed. I don’t consider entry level cuvees (e.g., The Bard, Ontogeny, Myriad Napa Valley, etc.) to be second wines.

I enjoy DB4 from Bryant as their second wine and a more accessible version to the main Bryant. At 125, I loved this wine and would buy a lot, at 150 not as much.