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Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Ratings on Delectable
David T 
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
Corison after Ribcap into dark chocolate...good all around. This was fast tracked in my tertiary storage. Meaning, it is more advanced than if I had stored it my EuroCave’s. It is well resolved. Yet, still has plenty of life. Beautiful, bright, lush, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries; black cherries, strawberries, plum, raspberries with cherries over the top. Soft limestone minerals, tarry notes, expresso roast, underbrush, soft leather, cedar to wood shavings, moist clay, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark spice with well pronounced heat, mocha, caramel, hints of tree sap/bark, sage, Provenance herbs, brilliant florals of; purple, violets & soft lavender. The acidity is near perfect. The finish is elegant with perfect polish and persists softly.
Corison after Ribcap into dark chocolate...good all around. This was fast tracked in my tertiary storage. Meaning, it is more advanced than if I had stored it my EuroCave’s. It is well resolved. Yet, still has plenty of life. Beautiful, bright, lush, ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries; black cherries, strawberries, plum, raspberries with cherries over the top. Soft limestone minerals, tarry notes, expresso roast, underbrush, soft leather, cedar to wood shavings, moist clay, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark spice with well pronounced heat, mocha, caramel, hints of tree sap/bark, sage, Provenance herbs, brilliant florals of; purple, violets & soft lavender. The acidity is near perfect. The finish is elegant with perfect polish and persists softly.
9.2
Greg Ballington
Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog
Deep ruby red. Reserved nose with blackfruits, cherries, currants, gravel, tobacco leaves and some light spices. Medium tannins (6.5/10) and medium plus bodied. A bit of acidity on the palate with notes of forest floor, restrained black fruits, smoked meats and dark gravel. Long finish. Drink till 2022.
Deep ruby red. Reserved nose with blackfruits, cherries, currants, gravel, tobacco leaves and some light spices. Medium tannins (6.5/10) and medium plus bodied. A bit of acidity on the palate with notes of forest floor, restrained black fruits, smoked meats and dark gravel. Long finish. Drink till 2022.
9.2David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
On the nose, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries and baked strawberries on the glass edges. Smokiness, savory meats, limestone minerals, crushed dry rocks, hints of white & black pepper, dark spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, black licorice, bay leaf, used leather, dry tobacco, some graphite, dark rich soils, steeped fruit tea, alcohol vapors, dry stems, dry top soil with blue flowers, violets and lavender. The body is medium just edging full. Tannins are; round, dusty, tarry and 50% resolved. The length & balance are good but, the tension, structure and body are leaner compared to stronger Napa vintages. This is a somewhat consistent theme I’ve experienced in 2010 Napa Cabernets. The initial mouth entry is good but goes hollow in the mid palate but, comes back on the long set. Ripe & juicy blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries and baked strawberries on the glass edges. Smokiness, savory meats, limestone minerals, crushed dry rocks, hints of white & black pepper, dark spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, mocha powder, black licorice, bay leaf, used leather, dry tobacco, some graphite, dark rich soils, steeped fruit tea, touch of hot alcohol on the palate, dry stems, dry top soil with blue & dark red flowers, violets with lavender. The acidity is quite nice. The long, ripe, juicy, elegant, well balanced finish lasts minutes due to the dark spice as it rests on the palate and brings a little heat. Photos of, Corison Winery, Owner/Winemaker Cathy Corison tending her vines, signage with beautiful spring flowers and Estate vines. Cathy was one of first female Winemakers in the Napa Valley. I was told once she was the first. However, having asked her, she said, “no.” She certainly was either the second or the third though.
On the nose, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries and baked strawberries on the glass edges. Smokiness, savory meats, limestone minerals, crushed dry rocks, hints of white & black pepper, dark spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, black licorice, bay leaf, used leather, dry tobacco, some graphite, dark rich soils, steeped fruit tea, alcohol vapors, dry stems, dry top soil with blue flowers, violets and lavender. The body is medium just edging full. Tannins are; round, dusty, tarry and 50% resolved. The length & balance are good but, the tension, structure and body are leaner compared to stronger Napa vintages. This is a somewhat consistent theme I’ve experienced in 2010 Napa Cabernets. The initial mouth entry is good but goes hollow in the mid palate but, comes back on the long set. Ripe & juicy blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries and baked strawberries on the glass edges. Smokiness, savory meats, limestone minerals, crushed dry rocks, hints of white & black pepper, dark spices, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, mocha powder, black licorice, bay leaf, used leather, dry tobacco, some graphite, dark rich soils, steeped fruit tea, touch of hot alcohol on the palate, dry stems, dry top soil with blue & dark red flowers, violets with lavender. The acidity is quite nice. The long, ripe, juicy, elegant, well balanced finish lasts minutes due to the dark spice as it rests on the palate and brings a little heat. Photos of, Corison Winery, Owner/Winemaker Cathy Corison tending her vines, signage with beautiful spring flowers and Estate vines. Cathy was one of first female Winemakers in the Napa Valley. I was told once she was the first. However, having asked her, she said, “no.” She certainly was either the second or the third though.
9.2
Darin Kendrick
From magnum
From magnum
9.2
Beau Carufel
Winemaker/Owner Random Wine Company
This is fantastic. Ripe but balanced, tannic but that works. I would call this classically styled, Old Napa. Just gorgeous.
This is fantastic. Ripe but balanced, tannic but that works. I would call this classically styled, Old Napa. Just gorgeous.
9.3David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
On the nose, stewed fruits of; black plum, blackberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Mocha, chocolate, mixed berry cola, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, loamy mineral soils and dry dark florals. The mouthfeel is less concentrated than other vintages of Corison but that's indicative of the 10 Napa vintage generally. The tannins are nicely resolved with another 5-8 years before they are completely resolve. The fruits are; dark cherries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, blackberries with strawberries that dance around the rest of the fruit. There's nice barrel toast, vanilla, nutmeg, light clove, cinnamon, touch of wood shavings, liqueur notes, caramel, mocha chocolate, mix berry cola, loamy soils, dry crushed rocks, bramble, dry stems with nice soft round acidity. The finish is a little lean but tasty. Good balance of fruit and earth with long, rich elegance. Cathy slightly overachieved the 10 vintage as a whole. Photos of; her estate building, Cathy in her vineyard, grapes coming in at night (better to harvest when the fruit is cooler) and her estate vineyard in all it's glory. Producer notes and history...Cathy Corison grew up in Riverside, California. She studied biology at Pomona College and was on their men's diving team, because the school didn't have a women's team. In 1972, she had to take an extracurricular class. She signed up for a trampoline class, but changed her mind upon seeing a sign-up sheet for a wine tasting class. This class was the catalyst that sparked her interest in winemaking. After graduation in 1975, she moved to Napa Valley in California. She received her Master's degree in Enology from University of California, Davis. Upon moving to Napa, she started working in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards and at a wine shop. During this time, she was getting her Master's degree at the University of California, Davis. She was told by her professor that she would not get a job in Napa Valley because of being a woman. However, if she wasn't the first Napa Valley female Winemaker, she was certainly one of the first. She tried to get a job at Freemark Abbey and was denied because they believed she could not work in the cellar. She almost took a job at Christian Brothers in the enology lab. However, she decided not to take the job and in 1978 she became an intern at Freemark Abbey and eventually became their Winemaker. She joined Chappellet in 1983 and was their Winemaker for nearly ten years. She founded Corison Winery, in 1987. The winery is located in St. Helena, California in a barn built by her husband, William Martin. Corison makes Cabernet and Gewürztraminer. They produce about 3,500 cases a year depending on the vintage. The winery makes a Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kronos is an estate wine that is made from organic grapes. The vineyard is dry farmed. The grapes come from one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Cabernet comes from Rutherford. The Gewürztraminer is called Corazón and comes from the Anderson Valley.
On the nose, stewed fruits of; black plum, blackberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Mocha, chocolate, mixed berry cola, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, loamy mineral soils and dry dark florals. The mouthfeel is less concentrated than other vintages of Corison but that's indicative of the 10 Napa vintage generally. The tannins are nicely resolved with another 5-8 years before they are completely resolve. The fruits are; dark cherries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, blackberries with strawberries that dance around the rest of the fruit. There's nice barrel toast, vanilla, nutmeg, light clove, cinnamon, touch of wood shavings, liqueur notes, caramel, mocha chocolate, mix berry cola, loamy soils, dry crushed rocks, bramble, dry stems with nice soft round acidity. The finish is a little lean but tasty. Good balance of fruit and earth with long, rich elegance. Cathy slightly overachieved the 10 vintage as a whole. Photos of; her estate building, Cathy in her vineyard, grapes coming in at night (better to harvest when the fruit is cooler) and her estate vineyard in all it's glory. Producer notes and history...Cathy Corison grew up in Riverside, California. She studied biology at Pomona College and was on their men's diving team, because the school didn't have a women's team. In 1972, she had to take an extracurricular class. She signed up for a trampoline class, but changed her mind upon seeing a sign-up sheet for a wine tasting class. This class was the catalyst that sparked her interest in winemaking. After graduation in 1975, she moved to Napa Valley in California. She received her Master's degree in Enology from University of California, Davis. Upon moving to Napa, she started working in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards and at a wine shop. During this time, she was getting her Master's degree at the University of California, Davis. She was told by her professor that she would not get a job in Napa Valley because of being a woman. However, if she wasn't the first Napa Valley female Winemaker, she was certainly one of the first. She tried to get a job at Freemark Abbey and was denied because they believed she could not work in the cellar. She almost took a job at Christian Brothers in the enology lab. However, she decided not to take the job and in 1978 she became an intern at Freemark Abbey and eventually became their Winemaker. She joined Chappellet in 1983 and was their Winemaker for nearly ten years. She founded Corison Winery, in 1987. The winery is located in St. Helena, California in a barn built by her husband, William Martin. Corison makes Cabernet and Gewürztraminer. They produce about 3,500 cases a year depending on the vintage. The winery makes a Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kronos is an estate wine that is made from organic grapes. The vineyard is dry farmed. The grapes come from one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Cabernet comes from Rutherford. The Gewürztraminer is called Corazón and comes from the Anderson Valley.
9.2
Alicia
Awesome. Beef Jerky, Dark Fruit, Wet Dirt, and Lavender.
Awesome. Beef Jerky, Dark Fruit, Wet Dirt, and Lavender.
9.6
Gary Westby
Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines
Thanks @Cathy Corison for this fantastic, balanced, dark fruited Napa Cabernet! At 13.6%, the 2nd glass was better than the first. I loved this with burgers!
Thanks @Cathy Corison for this fantastic, balanced, dark fruited Napa Cabernet! At 13.6%, the 2nd glass was better than the first. I loved this with burgers!
9.4Jeff Burrows
Evergreen, deep red fruit and a whisper of green pepper way in the background. Not afraid to show those tannins. Well deserved accolades
Evergreen, deep red fruit and a whisper of green pepper way in the background. Not afraid to show those tannins. Well deserved accolades
9.2
Tom Riley
375 ml. To put it in technical terms, this wine is really tasty. If Cabernet was always like this I would drink it more often. Fruit, acid, tannins, alcohol - everybody is playing very nicely with each other. Corison Cabernet is such a special delight. So good. So so good.
375 ml. To put it in technical terms, this wine is really tasty. If Cabernet was always like this I would drink it more often. Fruit, acid, tannins, alcohol - everybody is playing very nicely with each other. Corison Cabernet is such a special delight. So good. So so good.
9.4
See all reviews and ratings on Delectable WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.