Reviews:
Vinous - explore all things wine
95
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Sunbasket Vineyard is a new wine that
emerges from a St. Helena vineyard that has long been a component in the
Napa Valley Cabernet. Dark red cherry, plum, mint, rose petal and
licorice give the 2014 its explosive, racy personality. Exuberant and
racy, in style, the 2014 is a truly glorious wine that manages to be
ripe and also retain notable freshness. This is a fabulous showing. Antonio Galloni, December 2016
International Wine Report
96
The 2014 Sunbasket Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely
marvelous showing from Cathy Corison. Instantly bursting open with
seductive aromatics of dark cherries, blueberries, violets, graphite and
hints of sweet spices, which all soar from the glass. The full-bodied
palate is simply stunning, displaying remarkable overall balance, focus
and concentration. It continues to impress with its incredible velvety,
plush texture, with penetrating flavors of blue fruits, violets and
graphite, which expand seamlessly through the supple finish. This is a
total success, and should continue to thrive in the cellar for years to
come. (Best 2018-2032) - August, 2017 (JD)
JamesSuckling.com
CORISON CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY SUNBASKET VINEYARD 2014
94
Blueberries and blackberries with hints of bark and mushrooms. Full
body, firm and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. All
about balance and focus. Firm with attractive austerity. Drink or hold.
Friday, January 27, 2017
View from the Cellar
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon “Sunbasket Vineyard”- Corison Winery (Napa)
95
The inaugural release of Corison cabernet sauvignon from the Sunbasket
Vineyard is outstanding. The bouquet is pure, nascently complex and
utterly classic, wafting from the glass in a youthful blend of black
cherries, a touch of mulberry, Cuban cigar wrapper, Rutherford Dust,
lovely soil tones and a discreet framing of spicy new wood. On the
palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly refined in profile,
with a lovely core of fruit, excellent nascent soil signature,
fine-grained tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the very long,
perfectly balanced and nascently complex finish. This is a tad less
powerful in personality than Cathy’s old vine Kronos Vineyard bottling,
but it may well be every bit as good in a different, more understated
style. A stunning new addition to the Corison Winery lineup! John Gilman, July-August 2017, Issue #70
California Grapevine
2014 Corison, “Sunbasket Vineyard,” St. Helena, Napa Valley ($175)
92
Medium to medium-dark ruby; attractive, deep, herbal, blueberry and
blackberry fruit aroma with hints of mocha, red licorice, dried herbs,
and spicy oak; full body; elegant, spicy, cassis and dark berry fruit
flavors with good depth, firm structure, bright acidity, and excellent
balance; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Deserves a good five years
of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. Issue 43, November 2017
Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wines
92 ** CORISON Sunbasket Vineyard St. Helena 2014
Long
a vineyard that the winery has used as part of its Napa Valley effort,
the Sunbasket property has been purchased by Corison and now makes its
debut as its own stand-alone bottling. And quite a debut it is with
ripe, layered yet still nascent aromas that will take their own time to
find full voice. Not surprisingly, the wine is both somewhat supple and
noticeably firm and structured on the palate, and signals that its black
cherry and currant flavors are still some years away from showing at
their best. This is the kind of wine that deserves to be allowed to rest
in a cool, dark place for up to a decade. December 2017
Terroir Review
The
2014 Sunbasket Cabernet is lovely now but made to age; Corison suggests
her wines begin to hit their stride after about a decade. Limpid garnet
color with a fuchsia rim, it’s suffused with a floral fragrance
mingling rose, violet, iris, and lily of the valley. The structure is
elegant, a fine-boned armature built of acidity and tannin and modest
alcohol that frames its shiny cassis and dried strawberry fruit. The
finish is flowery, too, as the violet petals drift back in. Hold it if
you can. Otherwise pair it with lean and delicate meats. Meg Houston Maker, terroirreview.com, May 22, 2018
Wine & Spirits Magazine
Corison 2014 St. Helena Napa Valley Sunbasket Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
91
Basking in full-on richness, this tastes like the juice of ripe fresh
cherries, a pretty cabernet with some austere wood tannins, and plenty
of sweet fruit to fill them. That fruit darkens as the wine evolves,
bringing scents of candied blueberries and blackberries. This needs time
for the tannins and fruit to meld, though the texture is already
gracious. (10/17)
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