Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Corison
$130.00

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2021
Type: Red

Produced from old vines in the St. Helena AVA, this red wine represents Cathy Corison’s classic approach to Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. A low-yield growing season marked by major drought required meticulous vineyard work to achieve natural structural balance. The hand-harvested fruit undergoes a spontaneous native fermentation in small open tanks, avoiding modern chemical extraction adjustments; the wine matures for twenty months in French oak barrels, utilizing low percentages of new wood.

It pours a deep ruby color, releasing expressive aromas of dried rose, violet, cassis, and fresh blackberry fruit. On the palate, a medium-bodied frame balances a velvety mouthfeel with a firm line of fine-grained tannins. Succulent flavors of red cherry, raspberry, and dark plum blend smoothly with savory undertones of dust and baking spices. A clean wave of natural acidity runs through the mid-palate, keeping it fresh. It finishes dry and persistent.

Winery

Cathy Corison founded her winery in 1987 to make Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with both power and elegance. A biology graduate with an enology degree from UC Davis, she developed her experience at estates including Chappellet before beginning her own label. The project is rooted in the well-drained alluvial benchlands between Rutherford and St. Helena. Together with her husband William Martin, she acquired Kronos Vineyard in 1995 and later Sunbasket, a site whose fruit she had already worked with for decades.

Meticulous canopy work balances ripeness with fresh acidity, and the wines are handled gently through traditional fermentation. Afterward, the Cabernet spends around twenty months in small French oak barrels, developing texture and complexity without losing its underlying structure. The Napa Valley bottling offers the broader benchland expression, while Kronos and Sunbasket allow individual vineyards to take the foreground. Across the range, Cathy’s consistent approach has made Corison an important reference for a restrained, aromatic and enduring style of Napa Cabernet.