September 15, 2023 - September BYO (Ole Johan): Dark red without any transition. Nose with sweet oak, dark fruit, and some toast. The palate has concentrated and prominent dark fruit, with hints of mint and fruit syrup. The wine feels young and alive and probably has many good years ahead of it.
March 17, 2023 - 90 minute decant. Nose of dark walnut wood, chocolate and black fig. Cassis and black cherry with minerals, acidity, and loads of stones, iron ore, and graphite. Granite guides the finish of dry black fruit, prominent but narrow tannins, dried basil and a hint of bell pepper. True to the old school Napa style, though I expected a bit more complexity.
March 12, 2023 - Very delicious. Not overpowering nor too much oak.
January 1, 2023 - Perhaps a little muted compared to other vintages. Good but not great.
December 3, 2022 - Drinking well - classic Corison Cab
April 27, 2022 - (at Zuni Cafe - SF). From 375. Mid-purple color. This strikes me as young and still primary yet cracking open the door to evolution. Juicy cassis, oak wood (versus spice) and a touch of glue. Mid-weight yet coats the palate. A sunny for sure. A bit of tannin on the finish. This should settle out and smooth the edges with another 5+ years but I don’t know if it will ever be complex. Enjoyable and not too alcoholic. Like if don’t love. (90+?)
April 9, 2022 - Had a line up tasting. Del Dotto 2006 made it to the top.
2014 corrison was a bit muted at first. Didn’t have much of the structure. After 3 hours+ decanting, the nose opened up, dark purple, long finished, long lasting tannins. Lots of black dark fruit profile.
April 1, 2022 - Very early drinking window but so good. Better after 2 hours but so good off the bat so it was hard to wait. Drank with pizza, stuffed mushrooms and then last glass no food. Last bit by far best - I’m savoring it. Beautiful crimson to light purple. Dense but not opulent. Almost no sediment. Just a beautiful aroma of dark red fruit and a bit of oak and violets. Beautiful mouthfeel evolves to a palate of slightly high acidity but a bounty of flavors too many to discern with a mix of fruits that change with every sip and that just seem to last forever (well beyond the effect of the tannins which are fine but not fully resolved). Finish well beyond the 30 second mark. Note to self: WAIT on the rest of these. Wish I had more of this one. Will easily go another 2 decades and likely to have several really awesome phases and be spectacular once the secondary flavors open up more maybe in 5-10 years. I don’t regret opening another one this early though. My wife likes bold cabs and is ok with early window and she loved it too. Outstanding wine 93++
March 25, 2022 - I am really not sure how to fully capture how seamless and delicious this wine is at such an early age. It’s clearly a product of “Sunny St. Helena” and also has a calibrated balance of fruit and structure. Dark plums are merged with warm herbs, as the wine expresses its California fruit married to old world sensibilities. The oak plays a minor supporting role, leaving that benchland fruit to take center stage. Another three to five years will further tame the tannins, but there is no sin in opening a bottle now. Just give it some air (two hours here), and it will sing in the sunshine.
September 20, 2021 - remember (as best I can -- was at my 40th high school reunion!) this being very good wine, and in particular not 'over the top' as I find a lot of the post 2000 Cali cabs to be... I"m guessing its a good QPR at around $90... also kinda remember thinking it would age (ie had the acidity for the long haul)