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27 reviews for Corison Winery
27 reviews in English
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Review from Michelle N.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2011
Wow- I don't even know how to begin this review...the wines speak for themselves, absolutely AMAZING cabs! We tried the 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 of the Cabs and they were all delicious. We picked up a bottle of the 2005 and are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2007 Kronos. We tried the Cab Franc along with the Cab Sav Rose and the Gewürztraminer, which were all well crafted, but the cabs are like piece of art that you would like to add to your collection...
Now to the overall experience, we tasted with Valerie and she was wonderful, great personality, super down to earth, and had a passion for the wines. This is not a super fancy winery, but the wines are delicious and worth every penny. I would highly recommend giving them a try and enjoying a true napa winery. If you have tried Tres Sabores, the overall feel of the winery was similar to that for us and we are looking forward to heading back in December to pick up our next bottle :) -
Review from Kevan M.
2/9/2012
This winery was highly recommended to me by a winemaker friend. Cathy Corison is gaining some clout in the valley for her Cabernets. Her Cabs are different from most of her peers in that they have moderate/low alcohol and oak. You taste in a large barn-like building that is full of barrels. There is a single picnic table in the back that overlooks a gorgeous vineyard where they host the appointment tastings.
The service was OUTSTANDING. Our pourer was very friendly, easy-going and professional. I felt like an important and valued guest here. We tried the Gewurzt, Cab Sauv Rose, Cab Franc, Syrah, and 3-4 Cab Sauvs. I didn't like the Gewurzt or Rose too much but the others were tasty. The famous Kronos Cab was the clear standout - it was stupendous. The Napa Cab was lovely as well. Don't come here if you're looking for a good value. The least expensive wine was the Gewurzt at $30 a bottle. Prices were as high as $95 a bottle. I didn't always taste the price they were asking - especially with the Helios line. Most of the wines were certainly tasty but not always worth the asking price. -
Review from Jenny Y.
11/14/2011
$20 for a tasting of their wines. Apparently, they have great cabs! I never got that far in my tasting. The service that we got from Holly enraged my friend so much that after we were poured our first flight of wine, she ran to the cash register and demanded to pay for our wine so that we could leave.
Holly kept on making little remarks about our "behaviour". We walked in and we just wanted to look around since it looked like she was busy with an older couple (who were VERY nice and LOVED Holly) but she decided to stop her conversation with them and asked us how many tastings. We were a group of 5 and there were only 3 of us there, we wanted to wait for our whole party so we told her a minute and we were talking amonst ourselves when she grabbed 3 glasses and started pouring. Um...thanks...??? We wanted to find our other friends and one wanted to go but Holly said, in a very annoyed curt voice, "Don't leave." But my friend didn't hear her and leaves, and then Holly turns to the couple and went, "...annnndddd there she goes. I swear, my life should be on tv, first the other group of girls and now them." Um...excuse me...??? I'm sorry but I really don't think your life is so great. We tried to make small talk with her so that she wouldn't rush us into buying tasting flights till our other friends came and she wouldn't have it. She JUST wanted to talk about wine. She didn't care that my friend's parents went to the same high school as she did and graduated in the same year. In fact, she told us she remembers NOTHING about high school. What an exciting show your life would be! Let's JUST talk about Corison wines and if you try to bring up my past, let me just forget everything. I thought it was an amazing coincidence, I guess it was more of an annoyance to her, especially since it was a tiny town to begin with.
ps...the Gewürztraminer was disgusting. I really wanted to try at least one cab to see if the rest of their wines were better.
pps...they had a porch swing and a cute lil black and white cat. The winery is so cute! Reminds me of a farm but...ugh...Holly...geez. If you didn't want to "deal" with us, just ask someone else to take over for you T_T I guess the nice thing she did was to tell us it was on the house since we only had one pouring. -
Review from Star M.
Rockport, TX
10/15/2011
Wines: 5 Stars
Service: 5 Stars
Ambience/View: 5 Stars
A great winemaker, great winery manager, great customer service, in an unassuming tasting barn with a view out over the Kronos vineyard on the Valley floor looking up towards Spring Mountain. Corison is not designed for the limo crowd, it's designed for those who want to taste a stellar wine portfolio, with its focus on the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc varietals, and to learn about the grapes, the harvest, the fermentation, and the bottling of the wine.
You can read all of the accolades that Cathy Corison receives for her subtle, yet firm treatment of the Cabernet grape, which yields a subtle, yet firm delicious Cabernet wine. Her style is very Old World, with lower alcohol, and understated and well rounded fruits. Not a big bold Cali Cab, rather one of the most consistently well rounded vertical portfolios I've ever had the pleasure to sample.
We joined their club & have had the pleasure of enjoying her wines for quite some time now. A definite star in the Napa Valley. Worth the time to make an appointment and slow down your day in St Helena. -
Review from cricket j.
Fullerton, CA
9/14/2011 2 photos
I lucked out and was able to visit the winery during a promotional weekend when they were offering a tasting of ALL of their cabernets year 2000-2009....UH-MAZING!
Call me strange but I seemed to be drawn to the odd years 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007. It was hard to narrow down what to purchase since everything was so super delicious. I love the casual, relaxed atmosphere and the great drinkable wine. -
Review from Amy B.
4/9/2011
We got to taste toward the end of the day and were the only patrons in the winery at the time. Cathy Corison herself poured our tastes and walked us through the experience. Obviously, the winegrower will be exceptionally knowledgeable about the product, so we got a great introduction to the wines. The tasting room also had this cool subterranean wine cave vibe.
I ordered a bottle of an especially delicious red after noting that it was "only" $30--cheaper than most of the other wines we'd tasted. It turns out I misread and $30 was for a half-bottle, so I paid $60 for a full. You know what? It was worth it. A few months later, I had the most delicious bottle of wine with a friend at home and did not regret the price one bit.
That said, I am not well-off enough to enjoy this sort of treat on a regular basis, so I was excited to see that Woot! Wine occasionally offers Corisons at a discounted price. (MA peeps: This is a good time to enlist your CT, RI, and NH friends to receive packages for you.)
I would definitely taste here again. Even if I couldn't afford to buy much, I found the wines themselves to be awesome and it would be worth it just for the tasting. -
Review from Brian M.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2011
Probably one of my favorite wineries in Napa. it is probably the most down to earth place in Napa, with their tasting "room" in their working winery - surrounded by barrels and the awesome smell of fermenting cabernet :)
The tasting flight included multiple (6!) wines. The flight cost $10.
Corazon Gewürztraminer
Corazon Cabernet Sauvignon Rose
Helios Cabernet Franc
2007 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2002 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2006 Corison Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
I absolutely adore the way Cathy Corison make her wine here - rich, interesting, complex wines, but restrained, true to the soil wines and not like the fruit-bomb over-engineered Cabs that dominate the area. Her Cabs have plenty of fruit and silky tannins, but balanced with just the right amount of acidity and low alcohol that lets the wine tell it's story.
The gentleman pouring that day was Bob, and he was very friendly and knowledgable - we talked about subjects ranging from Trader Joe's french wine selection to phylloxera infestation and the reason that Napa doesn't use AxR1 rootstock anymore. He made the experience enjoyable and I got to geek out a little bit over some amazing wine. -
Review from Lynn C.
2/15/2011
Boy and I drove down Saint Helena Highway on the way to V. Sattui and we saw Corison Winery and noted to ourselves to come back. After the crowded and bustling V. Sattui, Corison was a welcoming experience. We arrived at the same time as another couple. Apparently, the Corison winery has a slippery entrance when wet (the lady ...ate it. Hard). We all recovered to enjoy the flight ($10 for 6, and of course the fee is waived with the purchase of a bottle). The man pouring was awesome and knew so much. The Boy mentioned that he found out about Corison via woot and [the man] was so excited. The Boy was disappointed to find that they were on woot 6 times and he had only seen 4 of the listings.
The wine was delicious although a bit too heavy for me (cabs are yummy to me but not my favorite). He poured us a 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley and THAT was the winner. The Boy bought a bottle and we got a discount as well. Man-Pouring-Wine also gave us a handy dandy brochure with the listing of all the wineries and then pointed us to Sullivan Vineyards down the road.
Going back to the other couple. They didn't say much but just drank their wines. No questions, or anything. In such a small setting, it's nice to bring something to the table. A little knowledge factoid, maybe a joke (I love jokes, especially under the influence), or a jig. They had nada. At the end they were heading out before they realized, "oh yeah, we might have to pay". Man-Pouring-Wine waved them on saying it was cool cause they woot. (BTW, they did not woot). Lesson learned: be a cool couple and bring your social game to the table. Be fun! Be eager to learn! Don't be boring. -
Review from Anthony T.
San Diego, CA
8/13/2010
Cabernet Sauvinon, that's all you need to know!
Let me back up for a minute and talk about the winery itself. The tastings are by appointment only. Corison is located in prime Napa real estate and it makes for a perfect way to start the day. If coming from downtown, you have to overshoot the winery on the left side of the 29 to make a U-turn back to Corison. The tasting room is located right in the barrel room. Our host was great! She walked us through each wine with great insight to each. She also gave us a tour of the vineyard, the barrel room, and the fermentation room.
I am hesitant to say that wine taste should effect any sort of rating, especially when taste is so subjective anyways. It's not like reviewing a steak house and saying they constantly overcook their meat, everyone likes different types of wines! I'll agree with some of the other yelpers in that Corison may not have the strongest line up of wine. That said, their Kronos label of Cabernet Sauvinon was some of the best we had all trip.
Be warned, the bottles are pricey. Keep in mind that your tasting fee can be applied to your bottle purchases and they sell 1/2 bottles to make some purchases more affordable. Corison is great about keeping a good inventory of library wines. Instead of paying $20 for two tastings we walked away with a half bottle of 2000 Cabernet Sauvinon for $36.
In all a great place to go for Cabernet Sauvinon, for great service and for a great place to go to see the wine making facilities. -
Review from Toro E.
San Francisco, CA
8/27/2007 5 photos
Tasting: $10
Famous for: Cabernet Sauvignon
Worth another visit? No.
The story, Cathy Corison's handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignons, and the setting, a small barn in the middle of a vineyard, were all wonderful, but I just couldn't find any of their wines to be interesting. Their bottle is offered on Michael Mina's award winning wine list, so you know it is good stuff, but I just didn't get it. Perhaps it was because their style is very subtle so you really need to listen to the wine very carefully to appreciate it.
Hours: Tasting room is open 10-5, so stop in anytime. DO NOT worry about 'by appointment' rule; which is Napa County's stupid and unfair regulations. They told us that majority of visitors are walk-ins.
Bottle Prices:
$98 - 2002 Corison 'Kronos Vineyard'
$65 - 2003 Corison Napa Valley Cab -
Review from Jeff D.
Oakland, CA
11/26/2007
Friendly, unassuming winery that makes killer, low alcohol, well-balanced cabernets.
What's not to like? -
Review from gene x.
San Francisco, CA
9/9/2009
Well, since I've got a friend visiting and wanting to know about wineries I like I figured it's about time I reviewed Corison. This was a stop I had on my list b/c my friend Andy's sister, who works up in wine country recommended it, so I knew it had to be good and they totally came through.
I came with my friends Jen and V from Louisiana and we only really hit three spots and Corison was our last stop. The woman who was pouring was some high level person at the winery but totally down to earth. For all I know she was Miss Corison.
Either way, they were very generous with their time (it was past closing time) and their pours and I have a feeling they knew that their wine would speak for itself and it certainly did.
We ended up buying a bottle that was consumed on the ride back and didn't even make it to the 101. Good cabs and super friendly staff = win!
And they are right on the main drag so you don't have to sneak off (although that's what I prefer). -
Review from Sandy K.
Philadelphia, PA
6/30/2010
Corison pales in comparison to other wineries in Saint Helena. I would recommend Milat and St. Supery over Corison, as they have superior wines.
The man pouring the wine was delightful, unfortunately the wine was sub-par. -
Review from Claire L.
Aliso Viejo, CA
9/25/2007
My husband and I really enjoyed this winery and felt it provided some of the most personal service of the 18-plus wineries we visited while in Napa. The wines were wonderful -- we brought home a Gewurtztraminer, a gorgeous Pinot Rose, and a Cab. I literally wanted to buy two bottles of all of their wines. They were that tasty, and the guy who guided our tasting was so nice and knowledgeable. Plus the winery itself is super cute, with the tasting room tucked into an adorable barn.
There was no tasting fee, and even though we were the only ones there, the pourer didn't put any sales pressure on us. We actually wanted to buy more but since it was our second stop of the day we wanted to be a bit more conservative. The high level of service we received should be the gold standard for Napa wineries. -
Review from Meghan B.
Bloomington, IL
9/12/2008
Probably our favorite stop on our recent trip to Napa.
It was one of those wineries where I just felt a certain pull --put on the clicker, turned into the drive, and in through the huge barnyard doors.
It was the opposite of pretentious, rustic without being contrived. And that was just the atmosphere!
We were the only ones there at that time, and it was the first day of harvest. Our pourer gave us a great impromptu tour that included meeting the winemaker, Cathy Corison.
Lovely wines and well worth both our time and the tasting fee. Jeff D. said it best: "Killer, low alcohol, well-balanced" cabernets."
A must-stop winery! -
Review from Lewis E.
Napa, CA
5/26/2010
If you are looking for small, down to earth, AMAZINGLY crafted wines...come here please.
True to the vision of what Napa set out to be, dodging the commercial bullet. The Corrison's rock and so do their wines.
The family is often pouring wine in the TR and will be more than happy to pour out their library wines if asked.
Don't hesitate - make this lil secret a must see in your wine tasting itinerary. -
Review from Christine G.
Washington, DC
10/4/2010
This place is all about the wine, and that is A-OK with me. We met Kathy Corison, the winemaker, and she was friendly and down to earth (which can't be said about all...), and really, if anyone has the opportunity to be cocky, it would be her. I didn't realize that many of the Cabernet's I was accustomed to were "over-alcoholed." I could see the difference in these and I'm glad someone bucks the trend. Though I didn't buy any wine, I did join the mailing list (the only place I did that)...you know, just in case!
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Review from James A.
Huntington Beach, CA
2/20/2011
Worth a visit. Finding a small production winery in Napa where you can speak with the wine maker and sample some excellent wines is rare, but this is one of them.
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Review from Karen R.
American Canyon, CA
11/5/2008
Very small with terrific wine! Cathy Corison has been making wine in the valley for over 35 years, she doesn't blend, uses some very old vines and the result -- delicious! Her 2004 Gewurtz was unbelieveable, I wish I had bought a case or 2 as it's now sold out. I'm now totally taken by her Cabernet Sauvignon Rose. A terrific wine for under $30. Her Kronos Cab is also delicious but almost $100 a bottle.
No appointment necessary. No tours, just a tasting with one of their very friendly staff. -
Review from Dori G.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2011
Most consistently wonderful cabs my friends and I have tasted in Napa. Truthfully, we were floored by how lovely and complex the three cabs we tried were. Also notable was a delightful cabernet franc. Tasting is by appointment, but you can easily get an appointment for the same day if you call. They are very friendly and accomodating.
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Review from Bill S.
Roseville, CA
3/9/2009
This winery boasts some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon to leave the Napa Valley, if indeed it ever leaves. The Kronos bottling is not to be missed, as some of the most remarkable CS made anywhere in the world. If you're half-sloppy drunk in the back of a limo, keep driving, as the tasting experience will be wasted on you. If you are a real food and wine person, and the wine is an equal part of your menu, Corison Winery will be part of your itinerary on a visit to Napa. If you are trying to score as much cheap wine as you can driving through wine country, stay in Vallejo.
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Review from vishal k.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2010
5 for the man who served us, 2 for the wine when compared to what else is available in the area. No one wine particularly stood out to me here. However, the man who served my friend and I was very nice and recommended a few good places for us to eat. We ended up checking out one of the places, Brix, and it really was very good. I decided to try Corison because I really enjoy the wines at Milat which is right next door and had seen the sign for Corison many times. The tastings cost $10. The wines I liked best were the Cabernet Sauvignons, although there are better ones in the area.
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Review from I C U.
McKinney, TX
4/30/2010
It's a nice little winery in a barn and while we appreciated the effort the wine wasn't anything to get overly worked up about. We did pick up a bottle of the helios cab franc which we thought was the best thing they had.
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Review from Robert H.
Pasadena, CA
6/15/2008
This is a great example of a very small family owned and operated winery. Like many other small wineries in Napa however, Corison does require an appointment, but is very flexible and accomodating. They also have a charge for tasting which is waived with any wine purchase. For $10 per glass (you can share a glass) they offer four or five wines, usually a dry Gewurztraminer, a red like Merlot or Syrah and two Cabernets.
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Review from Kim P.
Washington, DC
10/6/2010
Cathy makes fabulous cabs. The service is pleasant and unpretentious; our server even opened a wine that was not on the tasting list that I was considering buying - which I did. The tastings are at a simple, small bar in the barrel room, there's no view or fancy estate but it's a stop not to miss if you're looking for quality wines. Tastings by appointment only.
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Review from Kris H.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2007
Best winery ever. And I don't mean one of those huge places with awesome landscaping and art on the walls that you can peruse while you sip your overbearing chardonnay. This place is small and unpretentious and is all about the wine. They do mostly cabernet. In fact, the Corison label is reserved for the cabs and they have other labels for their smaller production varietals and blends. They make the best cabernet in Napa. I know it's a subjective statement and might ruffle some feathers, but it's true. Sorry. The best thing about this place though, other than the beautiful wine, is that the staff is friendly, super knowledgeable, and very helpful. I'm less patient with Napa in general than I used to be, but I'm willing to put up with it for a chance to go here again.
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Review from Aaron F.
Napa, CA
8/8/2009
Probably the best Cab I've had in a long time, The Kronos Vineyard. The Gewurtztraminer was incredible as well. I was most impressed with the incredible knoweledgable guy pouring. Usually on the weekend you get the retirees and temps...not here this guy was probably a sommellier and way over qualified to be considered JUST a tasting room pourer. Very friendly, I learned alot.
