96pts Decanter

Medium to full-bodied, beautiful and restrained, with savoury aromatics of fennel, black liquorice, cedar, and black currants. Soft, satiny blackberry fruits are lifted by fine-grained yet supple tannins while a purity of fruit guides the palate to a long, tobacco-tinged finish marked by a mineral-freshness that beckons sip after sip—100% Cabernet aged 18 months in 50% new French oak barrels.

95pts Wine Enthusiast

Classic balance and a little restraint characterize this firmly structured, deeply flavored wine that brings black cherries, cranberries and black pepper to the front, backed by slightly tangy acidity and texturizing tannins that will help it mature nicely. Best 2028–2038.

94pts Wine & Spirits

This supple and gracious cabernet reflects none of the challenges of the 2020 season—from the outbreak of a pandemic in the spring to the devastating Glass Fire in the fall. Cathy Corison’s vines delivered healthy fruit several weeks before the fire hit the valley, and her 2020 offers Napa Valley satisfaction in a ripe, voluptuous red. The tannins have a plum-skin essence that lasts, along with heady scents of fraises des bois.

92pts James Suckling

Quite fruit-expressive and floral, with spiced dark cherries, rust, baked plums, hibiscus and violet extract on the nose. Rich and fruity, with tart cherries, cassis and dried herbs on the palate. Full-bodied and juicy, with silky tannins that smoothen it out. Drink or hold.

91pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Corison fans should enjoy the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. Gentle herbal streaks run through the wine's classic black cherries and cassis fruit. Medium-bodied, sleek and streamlined, it shows vibrant energy and ample length, framed by gentle, silky tannins.

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

The base 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty, with a medium-bodied, elegant style as well as lots of sappy herbs, flowers, and currant-driven aromatics, fine tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. Drink this balanced, satisfying, old school Cabernet over the coming 10-12 years or so. This Cuv e spent 18 months in 50% new oak.

Winemaker Notes

The result of a nearly perfect, long and cool ripening season (and oblivious to the Covid chaos swirling around it), the 2020 was picked and in the barn fully two and a half weeks before the Glass Fire broke out. Industrial-grade air filters kept smoke out of the winery as the wines went down to barrels. Corison is so grateful, and relieved, to present the lovely 2020. This wine is wildly complex with tart cherry, blueberry, red and black currants, raspberry, plum and boysenberry fruit, fleshed out with notes of baking spices and peppermint. The tannins are characteristically polite yet grippy. Mineral notes add lift and the evolving violet perfume is so pretty.

Winery Notes

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 their 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.

In 1987, Cathy Corison began to purchase great Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from prime benchland vineyards between Rutherford and St. Helena, intent on making powerful and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that speaks of place. These well-drained alluvial soils had a long history of producing balanced, age-worthy, world-class wines, reaching back to the late 19th century. In her early years everything was done with smoke and mirrors, using purchased fruit and space in others’ wineries.

In 1995, with the purchase of Kronos Vineyard, a property that had been a farm for over a century, there was finally an estate vineyard and a place to build a winery. In the spring of 1999, they broke ground to build their stately Victorian-style winery barn, designed by Cathy’s husband, William Martin. The second estate vineyard, Sunbasket, a stone’s throw from the winery, was purchased in 2015 after sourcing it for over 25 years.