Colgin
Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Helena
2006
Vintage
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2013-2033).
In 2026 the Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 is in the latter stage of its peak drinking window, at peak year 13 in a peak arc that runs from 2013 through 2033. With 7 years of prime drinking ahead before the peak window closes, the Tychson Hill 2006 in 2026 is presenting as a fully mature wine of extraordinary complexity that the combination of the hillside St. Helena site, Ann Colgin's meticulous estate standards, and the 2006 Napa growing season have developed across 20 years from harvest. The tannin structure in 2026 is fully integrated and silky, a transformation from the formidable Napa Cabernet structure of the wine at release that 13 years of peak-window development has completed: what once presented as a structural challenge to early drinking is now experienced as the silky, weight-giving backbone of a wine of extraordinary aromatic and palate complexity. Collectors with remaining bottles should open them now through 2033 with confidence: the Tychson Hill 2006 is showing everything it was built to show in 2026, and the 7 remaining years of its peak arc provide ample occasion for measured enjoyment. Do not defer opening past 2033, as the peak window closes at that point with hard decline projected after 2041.
The ‘06 Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: fully mature at peak year 13, dark cherry, cassis, graphite, cigar box, and integrated silky tannins with 7 years of prime drinking ahead through 2033.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 in 2026 pours a garnet with developed brick at the rim that signals a wine now fully mature and at the highest stage of its complexity. The nose is perfumed and layered, opening with dark cherry of exceptional aromatic precision and considerable complexity, followed immediately by cassis of depth and persistence, graphite of mineral definition, cigar box of considerable aromatic complexity, and cedar of fine-grained aromatic precision that the Tychson Hill Vineyard's St. Helena terroir and the Colgin barrel program together develop from the 2006 vintage's concentrated fruit. An earthy note of turned forest floor adds the terroir complexity that distinguishes old-vine Napa hillside Cabernet from valley-floor expressions of equivalent price, a foresty earthiness and mineral precision that is among the Tychson Hill Vineyard's most consistent and identifiable site characteristics across the estate's history. On the palate the tannins are fully integrated and silky, the transformation from the wine's release structure completed by 13 years of peak-window maturation and now presenting as the silky, weight-giving backbone that elevates the wine's concentrated dark fruit, graphite mineral, and cedar aromatic dimensions to full complexity on the palate. The finish is extraordinarily long, iron, tobacco, and dried dark cherry providing the concluding aromatic notes of a wine that has arrived at the fullest complexity it will ever show and is now presenting that complexity at every level of the tasting experience.
The 2006 vintage
The 2006 Napa Valley growing season presented some challenges in lower-elevation sites where spring moisture created mildew pressure and extended the growing season, but hillside AVAs including the St. Helena hillsides where the Tychson Hill Vineyard sits benefited from the elevated site's natural drainage and airflow that mitigated disease pressure while allowing the warm summer to build the concentrated fruit and phenolic ripeness that the 2006 Tychson Hill Cabernet shows at full maturity. Harvest in 2006 came in October under good conditions for hillside sites across Napa, with the lower yields that the season's challenges produced in lower-elevation vineyards translating in hillside contexts into concentrated small-berry fruit of considerable structural character. Decanter noted that 2006 was a selective vintage in Napa in which hillside and well-drained sites showed markedly better results than valley-floor vineyards, and the Colgin Tychson Hill 2006 is among the most cited examples of a hillside wine that outperformed the vintage's mixed reputation.
About Colgin
Ann Colgin founded Colgin Cellars in 1992 in Napa Valley with the ambition of producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley's finest named vineyard sites. The Tychson Hill Vineyard in St. Helena is named after the original Tychson Cellars winery established at the site in 1886, making it one of the historic Napa Valley vineyard sites to which Colgin's estate ambitions are directed. The estate's winemaking philosophy is defined by site-specificity: each of the Colgin named vineyard wines, including the Tychson Hill, the IX Estate, and the Herb Lamb, is treated as a distinct expression of its specific Napa terroir, with low yields, meticulous sorting, and precise barrel aging aimed at translating each site's aromatic and structural character to the fullest and most distinctive possible expression. The Tychson Hill Vineyard's west-facing hillside exposure and Napa hillside soils consistently produce a more mineral, graphite-driven, and structurally precise Cabernet than the estate's lower-elevation counterparts.
From the cellar: pair with
Grilled dry-aged New York strip with compound herb butter, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted broccolini
The Tychson Hill 2006's fully integrated silky tannins, dark cherry and cassis concentration, and graphite mineral precision meet dry-aged beef's Maillard depth; compound herb butter amplifies the wine's cedar and earthy forest floor aromatic character with botanical freshness.
Braised lamb shoulder with rosemary, olives, and tomato over soft polenta
At peak year 13, the wine's concentrated cassis and dark cherry fruit, graphite mineral dimension, and fully silky tannin weight pair with the long-braised depth of lamb shoulder; rosemary bridges the wine's earthy forest floor character with herbal aromatic freshness, and soft polenta provides the starchy cushion that complements the wine's fully integrated structure.
Wild boar ragu with hand-rolled pappardelle and shaved Pecorino Romano
The Tychson Hill 2006's iron, tobacco, and dried dark cherry finish, cigar box aromatic dimension, and concentrated Napa Cabernet structure pair naturally with wild boar ragu's gamey richness and depth; pappardelle provides the pasta's egg-yolk richness that the wine's fully mature tannins integrate with maximum harmony.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 63-65F (17-18C)
- Decanting
- Decant 30 to 45 minutes in 2026 at peak year 13. The Tychson Hill 2006's fully integrated silky tannins and full peak-year complexity open readily with modest aeration: the first 15 minutes reveal the dark cherry, cassis, and graphite primary aromatic character, and the full 30-to-45-minute decant opens the cigar box, cedar, and earthy forest floor dimensions that complete the wine's full mature complexity. Serve in a large Bordeaux-format glass at 63 to 65F.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Napa Valley
Frequently Asked
Should I drink Colgin Tychson Hill 2006 now or hold longer?
Drink now through 2033. In 2026 at peak year 13, the Tychson Hill 2006 is fully mature and showing the complete complexity of dark cherry, cassis, graphite, cigar box, cedar, and earthy forest floor that this wine was built to deliver. With 7 years of peak expression remaining before the window closes in 2033 and hard decline projected after 2041, the recommendation is to begin opening bottles regularly now rather than holding. The wine's tannins are fully integrated and silky in 2026, presenting no obstacle to immediate enjoyment. See the [Napa Valley regional guide](/wines/region/napa-valley) for St. Helena hillside Cabernet drinking context.
How long should I decant Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006?
Decant 30 to 45 minutes in 2026 at peak year 13. The Tychson Hill 2006's fully integrated silky tannins and full mature complexity open readily with modest aeration: 15 minutes reveal primary dark cherry, cassis, and graphite, while the full 30-to-45-minute decant opens the cigar box, cedar, and earthy forest floor aromatic dimensions that complete the wine's mature aromatic complexity. Serve in a large Bordeaux-format glass at 63 to 65F.
What food pairings work with Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006?
At peak year 13, the Tychson Hill 2006's fully integrated silky tannins, concentrated dark cherry and cassis fruit, graphite mineral precision, and iron-tobacco-dried-cherry finish pair with proteins of comparable richness and aromatic complexity: dry-aged New York strip with compound herb butter, braised lamb shoulder with rosemary and olives, and wild boar ragu with pappardelle are all excellent choices. The wine's earthy forest floor dimension pairs especially well with mushroom-enhanced preparations. See the [Cabernet Sauvignon varietal guide](/wines/varietal/cabernet-sauvignon) for mature Napa hillside pairing principles.
How does the 2006 Tychson Hill compare to other Colgin Tychson Hill vintages?
The 2006 Tychson Hill is among the more structurally precise and mineral-driven expressions of this site, reflecting the hillside advantage that the 2006 Napa season delivered: while valley-floor 2006s were often uneven, the Tychson Hill's elevated St. Helena position and natural drainage produced a wine of concentrated small-berry fruit and graphite mineral precision that distinguishes it from the more generously ripe hillside expressions of warmer, drier years. The 2010 and 2013 Tychson Hill vintages are somewhat more immediately generous, while the 2006 rewards with the mineral-graphite terroir precision that the site delivers most distinctly in seasons where vine stress builds concentration.