13.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2016-07-17
Medium, dark, ruby red. Lot of black fruits paired with morello cherries in "Black Forrest Cake" style. Also some dark chocolate, a little bit of smoked bacon and freshly planed wood. Animating. On the palate at the beginning the tough tannins are clearly present. But after ten minutes in the - voluminous - glass this is totally gone. The wine becomes smoother and smoother without losing any of its freshness. This is not a full-bodied "killer" Cab. This is a wonderfully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon which shows in an absolutely gorgeous way that "Perfection" is possible without high alcohol and without vinification to the limit.
Corison Winery - Places like these become more and more rare in high-end Napa
I visited Corison in September 2015 on a very hot day. We arranged an appointment in forehand and everything was well prepared for our visit. The tasting menu was selected in an intelligent way and demonstrated the aging capabilities of the Corison Cabs in a very good way:
- 2012 Corazón Gewürztraminer
- 2012 Helios Cabernet Franc
- 2012 Corison Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2010 Corison Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2006 Corison Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
The Corison Winery "Tasting Room"
Taking with me a glass of the Corazón Gewürztraminer it was possible to see the whole area. It became obvious that Corison Winery, in contrast to other wineries I visited over the last ten years in Napa, is much better prepared for the present Californian dryness. The distance between the row of vines is significantly higher. This forward-looking winemaking idea was noticeable during my whole stay.
The Corison rows of vines
But coming back to the 2012 Napa Cab: As you have seen I tasted this wine already at the tasting room nearly one year ago. Since then the wine developed dramatically. It is already now after let's say 30 minutes decanting absolutely perfect drinkable. But already during the tasting at the winery it became obvious that the wines of Cathy Corison age very well. The 2006 we tasted this day was a little bit reluctant. Seemed to be waiting for another coming out. Luckywise just last week I could buy two bottles of the 1993 Corison Winery Napa Cab. I drunk a lot of outstanding Californian Cab from this vintage. So I am really looking forward to what these two bottles will offer. However I believe the 2012 Cab will have a very long life. 20 years plus.
Food pairing? At the moment nearly everything. The charm of this wine ennobles any dish. We drunk it with one of the most classical German dishes: "Grobe Bratwurst" with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. Stunning. The spiciness of the crispy Bratwurst harmonized congenially with the smooth but assertive freshness of the Cab. I know whal all readers are thinking: Bratwurst and a Corison Cab? Is this guy crazy? Try it. Otherwise you will miss an outstanding Wine-Food-Pairing.