Colgin

Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley

2015

Vintage

Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV

14%

Peak 2022-2041

Where it is, July 2026

At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2022-2041).

In 2026, Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 sits four years into its nineteen-year peak window, which opened in 2022 and extends through 2041. At this early stage of the peak arc, the wine is in its most primary and aromatic phase: the extraordinary floral perfume and red fruit character that define the Tychson Hill vineyard's signature expression on Colgin's rare volcanic foothills site are fully present and dominant in 2026, with minimal secondary or tertiary development yet to complicate the wine's remarkable floral purity. The 2015 growing season delivered a fourth consecutive drought year with a cold spell during flowering that significantly reduced yields, and the smaller concentrated crop produced a wine of exquisite concentration balanced by the natural freshness that the Tychson Hill site consistently delivers. Four years into a nineteen-year window in 2026, this wine is in the early chapter of a very long development arc with fifteen years of continued peak drinking ahead. Explore the [Napa Valley wine region guide](/wines/region/napa-valley) or the [Cabernet Sauvignon varietal page](/wines/varietal/cabernet-sauvignon), and compare with [Colgin Tychson Hill 2013](/wines/colgin/tychson-hill-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon/2013) for the floral Tychson Hill character in a near-perfect vintage year.

The ‘15 Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Four years into peak, Colgin Tychson Hill 2015 is among the most floral Napa Cabernets of its era: violet, lavender, and red fruit perfume from volcanic St. Helena foothills at their finest expression.

Drinking window

The arcYou are here · at peak, 2026

Tasting note

Colgin Tychson Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 opens with an aromatic profile unlike any other Napa Cabernet in production: the rare volcanic soils of the Tychson Hill site in the Mayacamas Mountains foothills just north of St. Helena produce a wine that leads entirely with floral perfume rather than the dark fruit concentration or mineral structure of the valley's better-known premium Cabernet sites. The nose is an extraordinary display of violet, lavender, and red fruit character in 2026, fragrant and lifted in a way that immediately sets this wine apart from the more powerful, fruit-forward expressions that define the broader Napa Cabernet category. Despite this floral aromatic character, the wine is full-bodied and harmonious on the palate, with the impressive concentration that Colgin's low-yield, volcanic-soil viticulture consistently produces balanced by a natural freshness that prevents the richness from becoming heavy. The 2015's cool flowering period reduced yields significantly, and the resulting small crop developed during a warm, steady growing season that brought the concentrated fruit to full ripeness with excellent phenolic development. The finish is perfumed and long, carrying violet and red fruit notes through a lingering aromatic close that reinforces this wine's identity as one of the most distinctively expressive single-vineyard Cabernets in Napa.

The 2015 vintage

The 2015 growing season across Napa Valley was the fourth consecutive drought-influenced year, with an additional cold spell during the flowering period that significantly reduced crop yields across the valley's major appellations. The smaller crop that survived the combination of drought stress and cold-period flowering ripened quickly during a warm summer, with harvest beginning earlier than usual in August for many producers. Wine Spectator rated 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at 94 points Outstanding, noting quality that was high but more variable than the 2016 or 2013 vintages, as sugars in some sites raced ahead of full phenolic ripening. For Colgin's Tychson Hill site on the volcanic soils of the Mayacamas foothills, the low-yield conditions of the cold flowering period combined with the warm growing season to produce exceptional fruit concentration balanced by the site's natural freshness, delivering one of the finest Tychson Hill expressions in the drought-era sequence.

About Colgin

Colgin is an ultra-premium Napa Valley estate with iconic prestige-tier standing, founded by Ann Colgin and producing a small portfolio of single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from sites across the valley selected for exceptional geological character. The Tychson Hill Vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains foothills just north of St. Helena is Colgin's most distinctively expressive site, producing wines of extraordinary floral perfume and red fruit character from rare volcanic soils that create a fundamentally different aromatic profile from the more powerful hillside and valley-floor Cabernets that dominate the Napa prestige tier. Winemaker Allison Tauziet continues the estate's focus on single-site expression and meticulous viticultural precision, targeting wines that balance concentration with aromatic transparency rather than raw power alone.

From the cellar: pair with

Roasted duck breast with cherry reduction

The Tychson Hill's violet and red fruit aromatic character aligns with duck's richness; the cherry reduction bridges the wine's red fruit register while the duck's savory complexity provides the weight needed to match the full-bodied concentration.

Pan-seared veal chop with wild mushroom and thyme butter

The wine's floral aromatics and natural freshness pair with delicate but substantial veal; mushroom's earthy depth provides structural counterpoint to the lifted violet and lavender while thyme echoes the herbal dimension in the Tychson Hill character.

Fresh goat cheese with lavender honey

The wine's lavender aromatic note is directly mirrored in the honey; the goat cheese's bright acidity and creaminess complement the wine's natural freshness while lavender creates a rare direct aromatic bridge between food and glass.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 61-63F (16-17C)
Decanting: Decant 1 to 1.5 hours in 2026. The decant allows the violet and lavender aromatics to fully express without the glass-confinement that can muffle the floral character in the first minutes after pouring. Serve at the cooler end to preserve the freshness that distinguishes this wine.
Cellar Storage: 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.

Track this bottle Read the Napa Valley guide

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.

Frequently Asked

When is the ideal time to drink Colgin Tychson Hill 2015?

In 2026, Colgin Tychson Hill 2015 sits four years into its nineteen-year peak window, making this the primary aromatic stage of a wine that rewards patience as much as immediate pleasure. The extraordinary violet and lavender fragrance is at its most vivid in 2026; those who prefer the floral perfume at maximum intensity should open bottles now through 2030. Those who prefer secondary complexity should hold until 2030 to 2037, when the floral notes will evolve toward dried flower and more complex tertiary aromatics.

How long should I decant Colgin Tychson Hill 2015?

Decant Colgin Tychson Hill 2015 for one to one and a half hours in 2026. At four peak years the wine is fully accessible, but the decant allows the violet and lavender aromatics to fully express without the glass-confinement that can muffle the defining floral character. Serve at 61 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the freshness and aromatic lift that distinguish this wine from more powerful Napa Cabernets.

What makes Tychson Hill's floral character unique among Napa Cabernets?

The Tychson Hill Vineyard's volcanic soils in the Mayacamas foothills produce a Cabernet aromatic profile structurally unusual for Napa: where the valley's most celebrated Cabernet sites lead with dark fruit, graphite, or mineral complexity, Tychson Hill leads with violet, lavender, and red fruit in a way that makes this one of the most distinctively floral Napa Cabernets of its era. This floral quality comes from the site's specific volcanic geology and cooler microclimate rather than from winemaking intervention.

How does Colgin Tychson Hill 2015 compare to other Colgin single-vineyard wines?

The Tychson Hill Vineyard is Colgin's most distinctively aromatic and floral single-vineyard wine, contrasting with the more structured, power-oriented character of the IX Estate Red and other Colgin sites. The 2015 vintage is particularly expressive at Tychson Hill because the cold flowering period's yield reduction concentrated the floral character further, and the warm growing season brought full phenolic ripeness without the sugar-phenolic imbalance that affected some Napa sites in 2015. See [Colgin Tychson Hill 2013](/wines/colgin/tychson-hill-vineyard-cabernet-sauvignon/2013) for the same site in a near-perfect vintage.