2008 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon PNV
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Tasting notes
(13.8% alcohol): Moderately saturated ruby-red. Aromas of blackcurrant, licorice and leather are complicated by pungent herbs and a slightly raw peppery element. A bit lean for this wine, with its dark berry and licorice flavors conveying a distinctly green note of cassis leaf. Fine-grained and essentially supple but quite dry. Nicely juicy Cabernet but I'm not convinced that this wine will expand in bottle.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright ruby-red. Highly nuanced nose combines cassis, plum, medicinal herbs, fruitcake, menthol, loam and licorice, lifted by a peppery quality. Juicy and moderately sweet, with strong, brisk acidity framing and intensifying the flavors of bitter cherry and dark chocolate. Not especially fleshy but primary, vibrant and classic. Builds nicely on the energetic finish. I would not be at all surprised if this extremely youthful wine merited a higher score a decade hence.
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as very classic in its mid-weight body and flavor profile. Dark plums, herbs, cassis and tobacco are some of the aromas and flavors that emerge from this beautifully delineated, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. This isn't a blockbuster, but rather a wine that impresses for its understated finesse. The 2008 can be enjoyed today, but looks to have a wonderful evolution ahead of it as the tertiary aromas develop in bottle.
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as very classic in its mid-weight body and flavor profile. Dark plums, herbs, cassis and tobacco are some of the aromas and flavors that emerge from this beautifully delineated, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. This isn’t a blockbuster, but rather a wine that impresses for its understated finesse. The 2008 can be enjoyed today, but looks to have a wonderful evolution ahead of it as the tertiary aromas develop in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. I was quite taken with the two Cabernets I tasted from Cathy Corison. These aren’t the biggest or most obvious wines being made in the valley, but readers who are willing to spend some time getting to know these refined Cabernets will be amply rewarded. Tel. (707) 963-0826
About the producer
Cathy Corison is one of Napa’s leading lights – a matriarch of the region who crafts defiantly elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from her old vines on the benchland between Rutherford and St Helena. These refined, long-ageing wines are some of Napa’s most impressive.