Cathy Corison is an icon of mindful farming and winemaking in the Napa Valley. When one thinks of “cult Cabs” from Napa, most everyone imagines a hedonistic giant that runs on high-octane fruit, but at the other end of that spectrum are committed classicists like Corison, who are enjoying a resurgence in popularity.. Without fail, Corison’s wines always showcase Napa’s elegant side, utilizing sustainable viticulture, old vines, and a minimalist approach in the winery.

Cathy’s Napa Valley Cabernet is her flagship. For 31 straight vintages she has sourced from three highly regarded benchland vineyards, considered to have the best terroirs due to their gentle slope, sun exposure, and classic Bale gravelly loam soils. Today, Corison follows organic practices, promotes biodiversity, and is trending toward dry farming—a Napa rarity.  Cathy has long known that she can’t make a wine any better than the grapes that come into the winery at harvest, so all year she spends much of her time and energy out in the vineyards.She had the following to say about the 2018 vintage: ”2018 is the darkest, inkiest vintage in my memory, the result of an extremely long, cool ripening season with cold nights. Happily, natural acidity persists during ripening under these conditions and wildly complex flavors and aromas result.  Because the weather was perfect at flowering, we had a bumper crop of deliciousness, making everyone happy.” The Cabernet is aged 20 months in small, new and used French oak barrels.

Violets and dried rose perfume jump out of the glass along with tart cherry, blueberry, plum and cassis fruit. Flavors follow with cocoa and refreshing minerality joining the party, and a tantalizing white pepper note for interest. Signature velvety tannins add texture and a gentle grip to complete the picture.