Corison

[DanCole42]

I know I don't post in this forum a lot. I'm not really a big wine guy. Don't get me wrong: I love to drink wine, but I'm not even an amateur at it. I don't really know what I like. I enjoy big reds more for the bacchanalian festivity about them than any sort of cerebral appreciation of their qualities.

Really, I have a very INsensitive palate and don't know if I could ever attain a level where it was possible for me to pick out hints of cherry without assistance.

But regardless, I do want to talk a bit about a wine I particular enjoy, one with personal significance and which came back into my life during my trip to Napa.

I turned 21 on February 2nd, 2001. I had dinner at my favorite restaurant, The Mainland Inn in the suburbs of Philadelphia. There, I was served a bottle of 1994 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon. It was my first legal drink, and I never forgot it. The bottle itself sits proudly on top of the wine rack in my basement.

The fact that I'm a huge geek and that "Corison" sounds very close to "Coruscant" (capital of the Republic/Empire in Star Wars) probably helped out in that regard.

Last week, I was enjoying my first trip to Napa. Doing several wine tastings a day was really helping to up my knowledge of and appreciation of wine. For example, did you know that wine comes from grapes???

We were driving along between Schramberg and Beringer when my wife shouted out, "CORISON!!!"

And there it was.

So we arranged for a tasting. I got to meet Cathy Corison herself. The woman who literally made me my first legal drink. It was a small operation (only five people) with very interesting history: how Cathy got into the biz (one of the first female winemakers in the area), unique qualities of the vineyard and the grapes (there's a particular usually undesirable disease on the vines that in this case contributes positively), etc. They're very old vines that have a low yield, but produce wine with a special character.

It was a totally unpretentious and unremarkable place. This was a business, not a tourist destination. No wine caves. No 19th Century mansions. No candles. But I got to touch the soil and walk through the grapes and meet the woman. I'd never felt so in touch with something I'd eaten or drank before. It was my favorite part of the whole trip.

Now that you've read my story, we come to the crucial part of this post:

What's a good place to get Corison around here?

If anyone's looking for a good birthday or Christmas present for me...

[leleboo]

The fact that I'm a huge geek and that "Corison" sounds very close to "Coruscant" (capital of the Republic/Empire in Star Wars) probably helped out in that regard.

Your wife was telling me this story and the first time she said the name of the winery, I thought, "Coruscant? NO WAY, that's AWESOME!" Then I realized it wasn't...and I was a little sad, I'm not gonna lie.

If anyone's looking for a good birthday or Christmas present for me...

I've already planned out your birthday present -- sorry, Charlie. However, i don't think your receiving some of this will throw my plan off too much.

[Keithstg]

MacArthur (Bassin's) has Corison. Great post, by the way!

[KMango]

Dunno where in the Galactic City to purchase Corison, but what a fantastic post.

Thanks for sharing this story and your experience.

[mdt]

That is like some of the experiences that I had in Napa at Storybook and Shafer. It is great to get to chat with folks that are excited about what they do and it certainly does make you want to learn more. There are some decent vineyards within easy driving distance and depending on the weather make for excellent picnic spots. Get out there and enjoy.

[jparrott]

Get out there and enjoy.

And spit. Or have a DD. It won't make you look silly. And it will make you slow down and think about what you are tasting.

Good post, Dan. Sadly, my first legal drink was crappy Vouvray from what had to have been a crappy negociant.

[Mark Slater]

I'll sell you some at Ray's. I know Cathy.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

What's a good place to get Corison around here?

CORison 1990,91,92,93,94. CORison Kronos 1996. CORison half bottle 2001. All Available at CORduroy

and I don`t even know Cathy

[Joe Riley]

I've always carried Corison Cabernet Sauvignon.

I first met Cathy back in the '80's, and I visited her in Napa in 1993.

The late, lamented Gourmet Magazine once wrote of her wine (and this was the '89 vintage they were talking about - Gerald Asher, I think it was), "(Corison) is the most beautiful expression yet of Napa Valley Cabernet."

If you'd like a bottle of her inaugural vintage, 1987, let me know. I can hook you up.

[DanCole42]

I've always carried Corison Cabernet Sauvignon.

I first met Cathy back in the '80's, and I visited her in Napa in 1993.

The late, lamented Gourmet Magazine once wrote of her wine (and this was the '89 vintage they were talking about - Gerald Asher, I think it was), "(Corison) is the most beautiful expression yet of Napa Valley Cabernet."

If you'd like a bottle of her inaugural vintage, 1987, let me know. I can hook you up.

Incidentally, standing in her vineyard was the first time in three days we'd seen the sun. We'd gone to Napa during a freak monsoon. "It never rains like this here." "Never seen anything like it."

Inaugural vintage? Isn't that like buying the first year a car is out, or Version 1 of software?

Just out of curiosity... how much?

[mr food]

Last Corison I remember drinking was the 94-nice but not a top tier wine from that great CA vintage.