Description
Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon
After an introductory wine course at Pomona College some 40-odd years ago (taught by author John Haeger, no less), Cathy Corison became enamored with the subject (her majoring in biology was perhaps an influential factor). She went on to obtain a Master’s in Enology at UC Davis and followed that up with stints at various wineries including Freemark Abbey, Staglin, and Chappellet. It was during her tenure at the latter when she began purchasing grapes and using rented spaces to craft small-batch wines. After eight years of honing her craft and producing great wines for others, her purchase of Kronos Vineyard—now the source of her top-of-the-line wine—solidified her presence in Napa. Four years later (1999), Cathy and her husband, William Martin, began building their winery/barn hybrid directly adjacent to Kronos.
For 31 straight vintages, Corison 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. In the winery, Cathy intervenes minimally to achieve the purest and most elegant expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon.
