Cathy Corison, the first woman Winemaker-Proprietor in the Napa Valley, produces three Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, hand-crafted without compromise. Her wines are powerful and elegant at the same time, have a sense of place, and are structured to grace the table and enjoy a long, distinguished life. She sources some of the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley, all located on classic benchland between Rutherford and St. Helena, where deep, stony alluvial soils provide the ideal growing conditions for the Cabernet vine. These vines regularly produce some of the most concentrated and superbly ripened fruit anywhere. Kronos Vineyard, one of the estate vineyards, surrounds the winery on all four sides. Cathy harvested her 39th vintage of Corison in 2025!
For the Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, her concept is to make a complex wine by taking advantage of the natural range of flavors possible in Cabernet Sauvignon grown on different sites. Benchland at St. Helena’s western edge is renowned for wines of unrivaled complexity, concentration, floral aromatics, velvety tannins, and notable natural acidity.
The weather in August, the belly of the ripening season and the critical window for wine quality, was nearly perfect in 2022, with long, cool days and nighttime temperatures dipping as low as the chilly 40°F’s. We started picking Cabernet Sauvignon on 31 August and were most of the way through harvest when the intense heat began around Labor Day. The result was a small harvest of tiny, delicious berries.
The 2022 is so pretty with violet and dried rose perfume right out of the chute. Bright cherries and blueberries join darker cassis and plum flavors for delightful complexity. Provençal herbs, anise, and wet-stone mineral notes join in the fun.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Napa Valley
Barrel Regime: aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak & 50% once used -French oak barrels
Alcohol: 13.5%
Production: 1800 cases
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2022 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Case:
12x 2022 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Price Comparison
Single bottle not for sale on winery website, $1680/case MSRP
Location: Between Rutherford and St. Helena in the Napa Valley
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 our 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.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Christmas preparations under SWMBO‘s direction are serious business. Rpm fears to tread where anything might interfere with SWMBO‘s schedule, but, when rpm received a call from WineDavid last Thursday asking if he and SWMBO could please ‘Rat a wine for Christmas…even though David wouldn’t tell what the wine was…rpm was intrigued enough to take a chance….and SWMBO and rpm were honored and delighted when a bottle of Cathy Corison’s 2022 Corison St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon arrived on our doorstep!
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Cathy Corison is one of the greatest winemakers in Napa today.
While Cathy’s vision and style are her own, those of us who have been drinking Napa Cabernet Sauvignon back into the ‘60s and even ‘50s know her as the true heir of such legends as Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu and George Deuer at Inglenook
The combination of Cathy’s humility, talent, consistency of vision and the fact she’s a wonderful woman and hostess is the reason every rpm Magical History Tour featured a tasting luncheon with Cathy at her winery!
Not only does Cathy make great Cabernet, Corison is consistently one of the most fairly priced top level Cabernets
Corison Cabernet is comparable to cult Cabernet Sauvignon that sells (often off of exclusive lists) for several hundred dollars per bottle.
Casemates and [the predecessor site] veterans know that rpm is a firm believer that drinking Cabernet Sauvignon under the age of 10 constitutes the infamous crime of Infanticide…but also know that in order to assess the potential of these embryonic Cabernets, sacrifices must be made…and SWMBO and rpm are willing to wade into the briar patch, cask or vat to do their duty!
Because of its youth, we opened the bottle 3 hours before tasting, putting our tasting pour into glasses about 2 hours before tasting. Upon opening, the wine had a concentrated and tight nose, dense fruit and other elements – so we knew this Cabernet would need to breathe in order to be able to understand the wine and give it a fair tasting
THE WINE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!
Using the modified Davis 20 point scoring system SWMBO and rpm both scored the 2022 Corison St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at 19 points – indicative of a great wine!
An rpmAUTOBUY – primary recommendation would be for minimum of 10 years cellaring,BUT, VERY DRINKABLEnow and for the next year or two.YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN THIS 2022 CORISON CABERNET SAUVIGNON!If there’s any way you can afford to, buy a case – a Christmas (or other Holiday) present to each other (or to yourself) that will reward you for years to come!
Hitting the key factors in our rating:
Color/Appearance -Very deep purple color, purple edges – characteristic of young Napa Cabernet. Neither of us could give it quite full marks for brilliant clarity (rpm 1.5, swmbo 1), but rpm thinks this is just a development phase issue.
Aroma and Bouquet – The nose is initially closed – showing concentrated tight fruit aroma but unfolds with time in the glass to present classic Cabernet aromas of black currents (cassis) and raspberries, as well as some dark cherry. Some spice – SWMBO identified cinnamon – and herbal hints (rpm), very slight dried flower notes – rose? lavender (but w/o the sweetness) or violet? The description belies how complete the nose is, which got full (6 swmbo) or very close to full (5.5 rpm) marks. [N.B. such high rating here is very unusual for us]
Total Acidity – Excellent balance of acid, fruit and tannin. Lovely structure.
Body – Just the body we want to see in Cabernet: medium-full – rich without being heavy or thick.
Flavor – Wonderful entry and mouth feel, with no flabbiness in the mid-palate. Fruit flavors clean and fulfilling the promise in the aroma. Fruit dominates as it should in youth but enough of the other characteristics show that it is an outstanding food wine, even as a baby!
Astringency – tannin levels are exactly appropriate for a Cabernet worth long aging. Typical of youth, the tannins are not yet resolved but are knitting.
General Qualit – It’s all here: beautiful balance, fruit flavors, complexity that will grow. Based on rpm’s experience, the wine can be expected to continue to improve for at least 20 years and hold for another decade or so after that. And, there’s more – it’s thoroughly enjoyable now!
The story on how I became a reluctant Lab Rat for this…
WD contacted me directly last to see if I was available to Rat an offer, it’s been years, excepting the failed Brown delivery for the Laura Zin awhile back. He was pretty insistent so I reluctantly agreed. Then he teased me with a clue (referencing a vertical) that immediately screamed of an extensive Corison tasting with Cathy pouring I, and other wooters, attended in SoCal by invitation. A real Golden Ticket. Upon asking if a second bottle may be available, it was unlikely. I politely declined, indicating the bottle should go elsewhere; it did. However it seems one, a second as it turned out, made it my way. Now I’m apprehensive. Ratting a Corison? Unworthy! But I was told the price of the bottle is a Lab Rat Report.
I am not at all good at attempting to Rat a bottle of this quality, unaided or otherwise, so I elucidated some help from a co-worker that drinks almost exclusively reds, mostly Cabs but has been extending into others as well, and his wife who quaffs Rombauer Chardonnay. My crutch to help us with what this may be? A 2002 of the same to see where this may be in 2 some years.
Night one chill the '22 a bit to where the '02 from the cellar is.
Pull corks and pour, sniff, sip.
The '22 is closed, the '02 needs air.
Back, after a couple hours in glass, the '02 is so aromatic and lovely, and the '22 is youthful as expected; with dark fruits, touch of spice and some crisp acidity.
Recork both, the '02 with Ar. and wait until today when the three of us could taste over a few hours.
So, after posting that rpm Rat for rpm, what more (using the De Long) can be said…
From the Chard lady
Eye: medium garnet clear
Nose: no note
Taste: medium-sweet, round tannins, unbalanced (excessive alcohol-acid), moderate flavor and finish
The Red found
Eye: clear, deep purplish
Nose: moderate youthful
Taste: medium, dry, fresh acid, flavorful good balance
I found
Eye: clear deep purplish
Nose: moderate youthful
Taste: medium dry, crisp acid, medium dry tannins, good flavorful balance (dark berries)
Finish: long
Pretty pedestrian stuff above with De Long, using Davis a very solid 18~18.5 of 20.
Now, comparing to the 2002 I teased in the Pub, neglecting age, these two are amazingly similar to one another.
The '02 has aged a bit but is still quite youthful, the purple rim is gone and now shows light garnet.
The nose has abundant fruit, but is also showing some leather and lacks the tad of alcohol in the '22
Balance, body, texture are all nearly impeccable; just a classic Cathy cab that all three of us agreed is pure joy to sip.
So why do I compare? Because I’m not at all good at teasing out flavors and aromas and putting words to them.
But comparing, this, I believe, is where the '22 will go (as the '02 is in a great place) if you can wait.
Or, as rpm suggests, and we confirmed, a lengthy decant and enjoy it now.
Not much per/bottle case savings on this one, but lit up SoCal just the same
So which is which?
Do the glasses match the bottles, or reversed?
2022 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
95 Points, Decanter
95 Points, Vinous
95 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Single bottle not for sale on winery website, $1680/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 12 - Tuesday, Jan 13
2022 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
3 bottles for $369.99 $123.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $1399.99 $116.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Wow. Welcome back Cathy. Your wine is lovely.
In for 8 cases!
Christmas preparations under SWMBO‘s direction are serious business. Rpm fears to tread where anything might interfere with SWMBO‘s schedule, but, when rpm received a call from WineDavid last Thursday asking if he and SWMBO could please ‘Rat a wine for Christmas…even though David wouldn’t tell what the wine was…rpm was intrigued enough to take a chance….and SWMBO and rpm were honored and delighted when a bottle of Cathy Corison’s 2022 Corison St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon arrived on our doorstep!
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Cathy Corison is one of the greatest winemakers in Napa today.
While Cathy’s vision and style are her own, those of us who have been drinking Napa Cabernet Sauvignon back into the ‘60s and even ‘50s know her as the true heir of such legends as Andre Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu and George Deuer at Inglenook
The combination of Cathy’s humility, talent, consistency of vision and the fact she’s a wonderful woman and hostess is the reason every rpm Magical History Tour featured a tasting luncheon with Cathy at her winery!
Not only does Cathy make great Cabernet, Corison is consistently one of the most fairly priced top level Cabernets
Corison Cabernet is comparable to cult Cabernet Sauvignon that sells (often off of exclusive lists) for several hundred dollars per bottle.
Casemates and [the predecessor site] veterans know that rpm is a firm believer that drinking Cabernet Sauvignon under the age of 10 constitutes the infamous crime of Infanticide…but also know that in order to assess the potential of these embryonic Cabernets, sacrifices must be made…and SWMBO and rpm are willing to wade into the briar patch, cask or vat to do their duty!
Because of its youth, we opened the bottle 3 hours before tasting, putting our tasting pour into glasses about 2 hours before tasting. Upon opening, the wine had a concentrated and tight nose, dense fruit and other elements – so we knew this Cabernet would need to breathe in order to be able to understand the wine and give it a fair tasting
THE WINE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!
Using the modified Davis 20 point scoring system SWMBO and rpm both scored the 2022 Corison St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at 19 points – indicative of a great wine!
An rpmAUTOBUY – primary recommendation would be for minimum of 10 years cellaring, BUT, VERY DRINKABLE now and for the next year or two. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN THIS 2022 CORISON CABERNET SAUVIGNON! If there’s any way you can afford to, buy a case – a Christmas (or other Holiday) present to each other (or to yourself) that will reward you for years to come!
Hitting the key factors in our rating:
Color/Appearance -Very deep purple color, purple edges – characteristic of young Napa Cabernet. Neither of us could give it quite full marks for brilliant clarity (rpm 1.5, swmbo 1), but rpm thinks this is just a development phase issue.
Aroma and Bouquet – The nose is initially closed – showing concentrated tight fruit aroma but unfolds with time in the glass to present classic Cabernet aromas of black currents (cassis) and raspberries, as well as some dark cherry. Some spice – SWMBO identified cinnamon – and herbal hints (rpm), very slight dried flower notes – rose? lavender (but w/o the sweetness) or violet? The description belies how complete the nose is, which got full (6 swmbo) or very close to full (5.5 rpm) marks. [N.B. such high rating here is very unusual for us]
Total Acidity – Excellent balance of acid, fruit and tannin. Lovely structure.
Body – Just the body we want to see in Cabernet: medium-full – rich without being heavy or thick.
Flavor – Wonderful entry and mouth feel, with no flabbiness in the mid-palate. Fruit flavors clean and fulfilling the promise in the aroma. Fruit dominates as it should in youth but enough of the other characteristics show that it is an outstanding food wine, even as a baby!
Astringency – tannin levels are exactly appropriate for a Cabernet worth long aging. Typical of youth, the tannins are not yet resolved but are knitting.
General Qualit – It’s all here: beautiful balance, fruit flavors, complexity that will grow. Based on rpm’s experience, the wine can be expected to continue to improve for at least 20 years and hold for another decade or so after that. And, there’s more – it’s thoroughly enjoyable now!
/giphy glorious-wonderful-griswold
@rjquillin How many of those for sharing?
The story on how I became a reluctant Lab Rat for this…
WD contacted me directly last to see if I was available to Rat an offer, it’s been years, excepting the failed Brown delivery for the Laura Zin awhile back. He was pretty insistent so I reluctantly agreed. Then he teased me with a clue (referencing a vertical) that immediately screamed of an extensive Corison tasting with Cathy pouring I, and other wooters, attended in SoCal by invitation. A real Golden Ticket. Upon asking if a second bottle may be available, it was unlikely. I politely declined, indicating the bottle should go elsewhere; it did. However it seems one, a second as it turned out, made it my way. Now I’m apprehensive. Ratting a Corison? Unworthy! But I was told the price of the bottle is a Lab Rat Report.
I am not at all good at attempting to Rat a bottle of this quality, unaided or otherwise, so I elucidated some help from a co-worker that drinks almost exclusively reds, mostly Cabs but has been extending into others as well, and his wife who quaffs Rombauer Chardonnay. My crutch to help us with what this may be? A 2002 of the same to see where this may be in 2 some years.
Night one chill the '22 a bit to where the '02 from the cellar is.
Pull corks and pour, sniff, sip.
The '22 is closed, the '02 needs air.
Back, after a couple hours in glass, the '02 is so aromatic and lovely, and the '22 is youthful as expected; with dark fruits, touch of spice and some crisp acidity.
Recork both, the '02 with Ar. and wait until today when the three of us could taste over a few hours.
So, after posting that rpm Rat for rpm, what more (using the De Long) can be said…
From the Chard lady
Eye: medium garnet clear
Nose: no note
Taste: medium-sweet, round tannins, unbalanced (excessive alcohol-acid), moderate flavor and finish
The Red found
Eye: clear, deep purplish
Nose: moderate youthful
Taste: medium, dry, fresh acid, flavorful good balance
I found
Eye: clear deep purplish
Nose: moderate youthful
Taste: medium dry, crisp acid, medium dry tannins, good flavorful balance (dark berries)
Finish: long
Pretty pedestrian stuff above with De Long, using Davis a very solid 18~18.5 of 20.
Now, comparing to the 2002 I teased in the Pub, neglecting age, these two are amazingly similar to one another.
The '02 has aged a bit but is still quite youthful, the purple rim is gone and now shows light garnet.
The nose has abundant fruit, but is also showing some leather and lacks the tad of alcohol in the '22
Balance, body, texture are all nearly impeccable; just a classic Cathy cab that all three of us agreed is pure joy to sip.
So why do I compare? Because I’m not at all good at teasing out flavors and aromas and putting words to them.
But comparing, this, I believe, is where the '22 will go (as the '02 is in a great place) if you can wait.
Or, as rpm suggests, and we confirmed, a lengthy decant and enjoy it now.
Not much per/bottle case savings on this one, but lit up SoCal just the same
So which is which?
Do the glasses match the bottles, or reversed?
No shipping to my state is saving my wallet.