Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Feather is 100% Cabernet. This is made in coordination with Randy Dunn. On the nose, dark, lightly spiced currants. Black oil, loamy soils, black licorice and fresh floral bouquet. On the palate, the mouthfeel is thick & rich. There's a good presence of wood shaving. Rich, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, candied black plum, plum, black raspberries, loamy soils, dark rich moist earth, leather, tobacco, spice-box, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, black licorice, violets and fresh red florals. Acidity is round and mouthwatering. The structure is big. The tension perfect as is the balance of fruit and earth. This is definitely a Parker wine. It's so easy to drink young, yet will cellar 10-15 years nicely. Photos of the tasting rooms hand blown glass lighting...lit up. The Feather artwork and the famous Boushey vineyard in Yakima Valley — 8 years ago

Krupal bhatt

9.5

Great champagne made better given that someone else was paying. — 9 years ago

David L

9.4

07' Quintessa Magnum .Someone took the bottle home to make a cheese plate out of it? The 07 might be the best bottle they ever made. — 9 years ago

with Randall, Sean and 1 other

Susan Lin

Business Development Belmont Wine Exchange, WSET Diploma candidate

9.1

1959 and still with strong fruit, a powerful, finessed body, and beautiful structure - great acidity to balance the strong body. Smooth with a vibrant kick, but definitely some expected musty earth with this age. Fruit is a bit raisinated but present and persistent. Don't dally once it's open - enjoy! Truly a well made wine. Tasting this was a wonderful reward after sweating through getting the cork out safely! — 10 years ago

with Steven

Alberto Chinali

9.3

Impressive Frappato... once given time to open up. At first it is very reduced with barnyard notes upfront. Given an hour time it transforms into an elegant refined wine. Very impressive and unique, so different from other wines made from this grape which are pleasant but unpretentious summer reds — 10 years ago

Steve Olson

9.9

A great wine stored in perfect conditions made for a great evening. — 11 years ago

Nate Stiles

9.3

This Pinot is a blend from three California counties. Tons of fruit and a bit of pepper made this an instant delight. — 13 years ago

with Drew

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

Adam Ching

9.7

Had a taste and it made my tongue numb... — 10 years ago

with Francesca

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Likely the best Artemis Stag's Leap has ever made. Ripe blackberries, boysenberries, black plum, cinnamon, dark chocolate, vanilla toasted oak and caramel finish. It's not as fresh as we've had at the winery. Starting to close down in the bottle. This entry level Stag's Leap is better at this young stage than most of their 2011's. At $40, an extreme value. Can't wait to try it again in 8-10 years! — 10 years ago

Bruce Shook

9.1

1945 vintage. What can I say? How often do you get to drink a wine made during WWII? A great experience courtesy of a friend with a massive wine collection. Wonderful experience. — 11 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

This wine still needs another 5-10 years to fully shine. However, it was none the less great. Dark multi layered cassis, tobacco, light leather vanilla and just right amount of oak, tannins not fully resolved and made in that remarkable Martha Heitz style. — 11 years ago

Heath Higgins

9.6

One of the finest made wines in the world. Always a treat. — 9 years ago

with Mary and Catherine

Limor Finkel

9.4

Any Zinfandel that still tastes this fresh after 12 years deserves five gold stars. The first vintage Mike Dashe really crafted out of Lytton Springs and made even better when sharing alongside him, Anne and the Dashe team. — 9 years ago

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.1

Beautifully made wine. Great earth tones. Will improve with years. Then 92 pts — 9 years ago

David Everson

9.3

Very beautiful, smooth, dark berries, leather. 2011 vintage. Love it! Made my lasagna taste even better! — 9 years ago

with Jill

Brent S

8.9

An old friend I haven't visited in a while. The best way I can describe this is: a very well made fruit bomb. Overly sweet and ripe, but otherwise excellent. — 10 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

Well made, great stuffing. Still a little tannic and tight. I'd hold or decant several hours. — 10 years ago

Peter Giles

9.2

Beautifully made by nuns. More fruit in the 11 vintage than the '10. Apple pie, citrus and honey. Love this wine. — 11 years ago

Daniel Hernandez-Brun

9.1

12.5% booze, about $30, sample. This is the wine that made me want to do what I do for a living. — 11 years ago