Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I Coravin-ed this bottle awhile ago. I put it back as it wasn’t drinking as I would have hoped. A couple of months later and it’s come around nicely. I been doing short term and longer term tests of Coravin bottles. As much as I love my Coravin, I am a little more skeptical of their research that states their bottles will hold up 9 years after their first Coravin. I believe the Coravin help develop this 04 a little sooner. It’s drinking nicely without food tonight. On the nose; dark currants, expresso, black olive tapenade, cedar, tobacco, sweet soft leather, vanilla, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked black plum, plum, an array of blue fruit mix, light cinnamon, clove, medium spice, mocha chocolate, dark chocolate, stones, rich, moist black earth and dark decayed florals & fresh violets. The palate is medium full. The tannins are not quite 50% resolved. After it opens up with a half-hour in the glass, it’s like velvet in the mouth. The structure, tension, length and balance are starting to develop into a very good place. However, there are many, many years of aging to go. The fruits are ruby, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, baked black plum and strawberries. Expresso, black olive tapenade, cedar, tobacco, sweet soft leather, tobacco, menthol, graphite, anise, vanilla, light cinnamon, clove, medium spice, mocha chocolate, dark chocolate, dry stems, crushed rocks with dry top soil, stones, rich, moist black earth, volcanic minerals, and dark decayed florals. The acidity is very good for what was deemed a ho-hum vintage. The long finish is; rich, ruby, gorgeous and lasts well over two minutes. I am enjoying it a lot tonight but will still wait another 10 years to open another. I believe at that point, it has all the potential to merit an outstanding score. When I tasted this at the UGC in Bordeaux fresh into bottle, I thought it was one of the top three wines of the day. In the right photo, you get a full sense where the wine gets it’s stoney & rich, dark earthiness. — 8 years ago

Sean Ragusa

9.5

Vintage 2003. Merry Christmas to us!
Nothing at all bad to say and everything good! — 9 years ago

David Collins

9.5

One of my favorite Heidi Barrett wines. — 10 years ago

with Teresa

Max Kelly

9.1

Sweet, good, but not all that complex. — 10 years ago

with Chris

Kalamota

9.0

These guys: always solid and 2012 is just an all around good year for CA. Second day drinking was even better. Will be coming back as always. — 11 years ago

Jon Fine

9.2

crazy good. not at all fat despite the 2003-ness. — 11 years ago

Tina Art

8.9

It's good one! all time favorite. Not full and not bold and not too sweet — 12 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.2

Nothing like a good bottle of claret after a long hike w/friend. Dont seem to think was a good vintage but w/a good maker—-drinking nicely now. Black currants, cassis, gritty tannins, acidic lift but all integrated. Decant/ pour carefully — 8 years ago

with Owen

sebastien cote

9.1

Was great but the day after wasn't good at all — 9 years ago

Benjamin Keator

9.7

More earth. Loved it. Why can't all pinots be this good — 9 years ago

with Will and Weston

Mark Flesher

9.1

To me, this wine of all the aged wines had the best entry without a doubt. This wine is made in a very old world and French style, and you can tell it from the start. I was a little worried about this wine, but the cork was in great shape and extracted by an ah-so with no problems. This wine had a very herbal nose, and herbal front. Raspberry front eventually emerged. The middle of this wine was actually quite full bodied. The finish was a little earthy, a little bit of mushroom, and tame oak. The wine was good, and still going after all these years. Look forward to the other bottle soon! — 9 years ago

Eric Egan

9.0

This was lovely; full of primary fruit and lovely a point tannins but starting to loose its flesh. A very good easy drinking wine, though unfortunately that's all it was. As expected. — 9 years ago

Derek Hearst

9.7

Even in difficult vintages, great wine makers make great wines. This is a CDP unlike many others. The fruit was in perfect balance with all the secondary favors. Surprising how good this was considering the vintage. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

It needed an hour decant to come around and blow off the barnyard funk. After that, elegance, ruby blue and red soft fruits; blueberries, bright cherries, fresh juicy strawberries, some cooked green bell early on that gradually faded, steeped tea, soft saddlewood & minerality, a touch of easy wet black earth, pebbles. The 88 has all the classic characteristics and elegant finish one comes to expect from Pichon Lalande. Not their best but pretty darn good on Christmas Eve into Christmas. Merry Christmas all!!! — 10 years ago

Joseph Moss

9.3

Gamay all day, every day! With some aging on it. Good to drink, still good to keep. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

On the nose, stewed fruits of; black plum, blackberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Mocha, chocolate, mixed berry cola, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, loamy mineral soils and dry dark florals. The mouthfeel is less concentrated than other vintages of Corison but that's indicative of the 10 Napa vintage generally. The tannins are nicely resolved with another 5-8 years before they are completely resolve. The fruits are; dark cherries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, blackberries with strawberries that dance around the rest of the fruit. There's nice barrel toast, vanilla, nutmeg, light clove, cinnamon, touch of wood shavings, liqueur notes, caramel, mocha chocolate, mix berry cola, loamy soils, dry crushed rocks, bramble, dry stems with nice soft round acidity. The finish is a little lean but tasty. Good balance of fruit and earth with long, rich elegance. Cathy slightly overachieved the 10 vintage as a whole. Photos of; her estate building, Cathy in her vineyard, grapes coming in at night (better to harvest when the fruit is cooler) and her estate vineyard in all it's glory. Producer notes and history...Cathy Corison grew up in Riverside, California. She studied biology at Pomona College and was on their men's diving team, because the school didn't have a women's team. In 1972, she had to take an extracurricular class. She signed up for a trampoline class, but changed her mind upon seeing a sign-up sheet for a wine tasting class. This class was the catalyst that sparked her interest in winemaking. After graduation in 1975, she moved to Napa Valley in California. She received her Master's degree in Enology from University of California, Davis. Upon moving to Napa, she started working in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards and at a wine shop. During this time, she was getting her Master's degree at the University of California, Davis. She was told by her professor that she would not get a job in Napa Valley because of being a woman. However, if she wasn't the first Napa Valley female Winemaker, she was certainly one of the first. She tried to get a job at Freemark Abbey and was denied because they believed she could not work in the cellar. She almost took a job at Christian Brothers in the enology lab. However, she decided not to take the job and in 1978 she became an intern at Freemark Abbey and eventually became their Winemaker. She joined Chappellet in 1983 and was their Winemaker for nearly ten years. She founded Corison Winery, in 1987. The winery is located in St. Helena, California in a barn built by her husband, William Martin. Corison makes Cabernet and Gewürztraminer. They produce about 3,500 cases a year depending on the vintage. The winery makes a Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kronos is an estate wine that is made from organic grapes. The vineyard is dry farmed. The grapes come from one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Cabernet comes from Rutherford. The Gewürztraminer is called Corazón and comes from the Anderson Valley. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, raisins, violets, burnt ambers, cinnamon and vanilla leap out of the glass on the nose. The tannins are nicely resolved. Cooked blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, blueberries, boysenberries, olallieberries, rhubarb with a little figs, date & prune quality. Then, comes dark fruit preserves with a slight liqueur character, black raspberry cola, cinnamon, vanilla, strong anise all over the mid palate, clove, milk chocolate, roasted meat, coffee grounds, suede type leather, scorched rich black earth, burnt ambers, underbrush, toast, violets, nice acidity and a full, rich, finish that goes on and on. The structure is good as is the balance, tension and length. If you own the 06, it's nice tonight but perfect in another 5 years or so. The 06 vintage is a wine that was still made in the original Caymus style. Since around 2012, they're more syrupy sweet than I prefer. — 9 years ago

Jimmy Hayes

Estate Director Mayacamas Vineyard

10

86 HM - what else to say other than it's the wine that got me into wine; every time I taste it I remember why I got started in this business.. First tried at 16 years old at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver with my Dad. Today, a couple decades later, got to enjoy it again from 5L surrounded by good friends and family. 10 is for all of it, not just the wine. Grateful to Jason and Sarah Heller for their generosity. #happyeaster — 10 years ago

with Douglas, Helen and 4 others

ToM Stransky

10

It's been a few years since last visiting this icon and midnight on a Sunday seemed like a good idea. #Absolutelyoutstanding and preferred over all of its peers. Opulence in the autolysis department yet enough fruit to balance and keep it focused. Quintessential 'spoil yourself' champagne at the top of the class. If only I could make it a weekly event..TS — 11 years ago

Gavita Kissoon

10

Sweet undertones. Cherry & vanilla. Smooth drink- good all by itself. — 11 years ago

with Carl