WTN: A 1994 Napa Cab

Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 – Corison Wines, Cathy Corison – Alc. 12.8%.
Looking at my small rack of Californian wines brought back from business visits in the 90s, I think that it is time to open them before they fade. Here’s Sunday’s.
This wine showed deep colour with some bricking and attractively rich aromas of red and dark fruit with some piquant acidity and faint touches of mint. The body was full and substance was rich with its somewhat sweet seeming fruit balanced by good acidity having a varnish edge; there was a smooth patina of well integrated oak and firm tannins towards the finish. So this was a very good wine but perhaps too sweet fruited, thick textured and lacking in lively tang to give that moreishness which, for me, is the hallmark of a great Cabernet blend; 16/.20.

Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 – Corison Wines, Cathy Corison – Alc. 12.8%.
Looking at my small rack of Californian wines brought back from business visits in the 90s, I think that it is time to open them before they fade. Here’s Sunday’s.
This wine showed deep colour with some bricking and attractively rich aromas of red and dark fruit with some piquant acidity and faint touches of mint. The body was full and substance was rich with its somewhat sweet seeming fruit balanced by good acidity having a varnish edge; there was a smooth patina of well integrated oak and firm tannins towards the finish. So this was a very good wine but perhaps too sweet fruited, thick textured and lacking in lively tang to give that moreishness which, for me, is the hallmark of a great Cabernet blend; 16/.20.

Tim,
I wonder if you haven't opened the wine too early. Corison's wines from the '80s are still drinking well now and few show signs of fading. With another 5-10 years, that wine might lose much of its sweetness and the oak influence might abate further. OTOH, you might be a victim of the year: '94 was a "classic" early-drinking year for Napa, characterized by a hot growing season and very ripe fruit. From the decade of the '90s, '91 and '96 are emerging as perhaps the best years for ageworthy wines.

Mark Lipton

Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 – Corison Wines, Cathy Corison – Alc. 12.8%.
Looking at my small rack of Californian wines brought back from business visits in the 90s, I think that it is time to open them before they fade. Here’s Sunday’s.
This wine showed deep colour with some bricking and attractively rich aromas of red and dark fruit with some piquant acidity and faint touches of mint. The body was full and substance was rich with its somewhat sweet seeming fruit balanced by good acidity having a varnish edge; there was a smooth patina of well integrated oak and firm tannins towards the finish. So this was a very good wine but perhaps too sweet fruited, thick textured and lacking in lively tang to give that moreishness which, for me, is the hallmark of a great Cabernet blend; 16/.20.

I am not a Napa Cab fan but had this wine last year and found it excellent. The 12.8% alcohol may have had something to do with my liking the wine. It was somewhat big but not the size of so many CA wines and if they all tasted like this I would have many more in the cellar.
Walt

Walt, 12.8% certainly helps the balance and harmony. This was big but no blockbuster. I'm wondering whether ripe vintage 21st century Médoc will not taste like this after 16 years? Jancis writes that her notes on tasting the 09s are sprinkled with the word "Napa".

I had this from magnum sometime last year and while I am not sure that it was too early, it sure has a lot of life in front of it. I did not feel that it was too sweet or thick textured but I drink more Cal Cab than most on this board so I am probably not the best reference for those attributes. I have not had an "off-year" corison so not sure if the vintage is to blame.

Kathy Corison does not buy into the school of riper, bigger, and oakier is better. She tries for balance above all IMHO.