2016 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

District: Prime benchland vineyards between Rutherford and St. Helena Kronos Vineyard Sunbasket Vineyard

Soil/Vineyard: Well-drained alluvial soil 

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes: Redolent with bright red currant, blueberry, tart cherry and darker plum, cassis and blackberry fruit, it is wildly complex. The fruit aromatics are complexed by baking spices and floral notes including dried rose petals and violets. Varietal dried herbs add yet another dimension. An alluring yin of minerality and snappy natural acidity play off against the yang of a broad, luscious mouth feel. 

Vinification & Maturation Process: Each of the Corison vineyards are sustainably farmed and hand harvested. When the fruit comes to the winery, it is gently de-stemmed, and manually sorted. From the sorting table, the Cabernet goes into temperature controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks. During fermentation, the juice is pumped over the cap to keep all of the liquid in contact with the skins. After alcoholic fermentation is complete and the wine is dry, wine is pumped into small French oak barrels. Barrels are contracted from several different coopers, who source from several different forests. 1/2 of the barrels used are new each year. Once in the barrel, the wines will undergo malolactic fermentation. Once the malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is racked off the lees, the barrels are cleaned, then the wine is returned to barrel. During the 1st year, wine is racked 3 – 4 times. Also, during that 1st year, each individual vineyard block is kept separate, so they can develop their own individual personality. At around the 1 year mark, Cathy will taste each barrel, and put together her final blend for the Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, but there may be different proportions of each of the vineyards, depending on the vintage. Once Cathy puts together her blend, the wine is transferred back to barrel for another 10 months, until it’s time for bottling. Once bottled, we let the wines rest for a minimum of 12 months for the Napa Valley Cabernet, and 18 months for our single vineyard Cabernets. 

Alcohol: 13.1%

Winemaker Bio: Cathy’s winemaking journey began nearly 45 years ago when she took a wine appreciation course at Pomona College on a complete whim. She fell in love with wine for all the usual reasons, but, as a Biology major, was also taken by the fact that wine is the result of a fascinating collaboration among a series of living systems. Two years later she graduated, and two days after that, arrived in the Napa Valley, bent on making wine. A master’s degree in Enology at UC Davis followed, and then a harvest internship at Freemark Abbey in 1978. Winemaking positions included Yverdon in 1979-1980 and then Chappellet Vineyard for the 1980’s. In 1987, toward the end of her tenure at Chappellet, there was a wine inside her that needed to get out and she began to buy grapes and barrels (instead of cars and houses). Using other wineries’ excess capacity while continuing to moonlight at Staglin, York Creek and Long Meadow Ranch, Corison Winery was born.

About the Vintage: Warm weather in April kick-started the nearly perfect season in 2016 on the early side, followed by a moderate July and very cold August. Typical of autumn weather in Napa Valley, a gentle, late heat spell brought the vintage home. There was never a day over 100F from veraison through harvest. The wineries favorite kind of season. Even more important than daytime highs, nightime lows were downright cold all summer, preserving good natural acidity. 

Formats: 750ml, 6 bottles per case

Private Client $280.89/bottle Investment of $1685.34 per case

Licensee: $252.69/bottle Investment of $1516.14 per case