2018 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: Violet and dried rose perfume jumps out of the glass along with tart cherry, blueberry, plum and cassis fruit. Flavors follow with cocoa and refreshing minerality joining the party, and tantalizing white pepper note for interest. Signature velvery tannins, texture and a gentle grip to complete the picture.

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: 13.8%

About the Vintage: 2018 is the darkest, inkiest vintage to my memory, the result of an extremely long, cool ripening season with cold nights. Happily, natural acidity persists during ripening under these conditions and wildly complex flavors and aromas result. Because the weather was perfect at flowering, we had a bumper crop of deliciousness, making everyone happy.

Formats: 750ml, 6 bottles per case

Private Client $225.49/bottle Investment of $1352.94 per case

Licensee: $202.11/bottle Investment of $1212.66 per case

Corison

Corison Winery is a small family farm producing delicious Cabernet Sauvignons that speak of place. Over three decades, Cathy Corison and William Martin have built a special home to celebrate the best of their little corner of the world, benchland in the heart of the Napa Valley. Known for power and elegance, Corison wines are balanced to grace the table and are recognized throughout the world for their longevity and consistency. In the News