Corison Wine

Located in St Helena, California, Corison Winery was founded in 1987 by Cathy Corison, a renowned winemaker. The winery has gained recognition for its unique approach to crafting Cabernet Sauvignon wines that challenge the prevailing notion of Napa Cabernets being opulent and high in alcohol content. Instead, Corison focuses on producing elegant and age-worthy wines that have garnered immense respect within the industry.

Cathy Corison’s passion for winemaking blossomed during her biology studies at Pomona College in the 1970s. After obtaining a Masters in Enology from UC Davis, she honed her skills at prestigious wineries such as Chappellet Vineyard, Staglin Family Estate, York Creek Vineyards, and Long Meadow Ranch, before finally establishing her own winery in St Helena.

The winemaking process at Corison revolves around crafting varietal Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the benchlands merging Rutherford and St Helena. In the early days, Corison’s wines did not receive high praise from influential critic Robert Parker, who acknowledged the 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon’s “fine ripeness and body” but considered it less intense compared to its counterparts.

However, critical appreciation for Corison wines has evolved over time. These refined Cabernets now consistently receive high scores in the nineties. As critic Antonio Galloni noted in 2011, Corison wines may not be the most prominent or showy in the valley, but those willing to explore and savor them will be richly rewarded.

The flagship Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from three distinct vineyards across Napa. Additionally, the winery produces the Kronos Cabernet Sauvignon, made from a small selection of old vines right in front of the winery. Both wines are exclusively crafted from 100-percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes using identical winemaking techniques, ensuring a consistent expression of the vintage’s quality.