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Corison

Cathy Corison established her Rutherford estate in 1987 after winemaking stints at Chappellet and Staglin, building a reputation for what she calls 'the elusive middle'—Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that prioritizes balance, restraint, and ageability over the hedonistic extraction that defined much 1990s-2000s Napa wine. The Corison Cabernet Sauvignon is the core wine (280 lots, $139, 2016 peak), while the Kronos Vineyard single-vineyard bottling—from a heritage block of Cabernet planted in the 1970s on gravelly alluvial soils—is the prestige label ($332, 47 lots, 2013 peak). Sunbasket Vineyard averages $127 (26 lots). Prices reach $1,554 for the rarest Kronos lots. Total activity: 353 lots at $164 average. The Kronos premium—more than double the standard wine—reflects old-vine complexity from vines first planted during the early Napa Cabernet era. Corison's consistent critical acclaim, particularly from Wine Spectator and The Wine Advocate, sustains secondary demand for a domaine that produces only around 5,000 cases annually.

The Kronos Vineyard Cabernet is sourced from a block of Rutherford vines planted in the 1970s, averaging $332 per bottle across 47 lots—139% premium over the standard Corison Cabernet.
Cathy Corison founded the estate in 1987 and has maintained a consistent philosophy of lower-alcohol, balanced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a contrarian position against the extraction-focused style dominant in Napa during the 1990s and 2000s.
The 2016 vintage is the most-traded for the standard Cabernet, and 2013 for Kronos—both considered excellent Rutherford growing seasons for structured, age-worthy Cabernet.
Total production is under 5,000 cases annually; the standard Cabernet at $139 average and Kronos at $332 are among the best Rutherford benchmarks for age-worthy, restrained Napa Cabernet style.

Auction Lots

1,116

Avg Price / Bottle

$147

Top Vintage

2013

Price Range

$35 – $1.6k

In the Glass

Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon of restraint and elegance: red cherry, blackcurrant, dried rose, tobacco, cedar, and Rutherford dust mineral on a medium-full body with silky tannins. The style is closer to 1970s Napa or Pauillac than to modern Napa extraction. Kronos adds old-vine complexity—dried herbs, graphite, and a longer, more minerally finish. All wines need 10+ years but reward patience with remarkable longevity.

Portfolio

WineColourAvg PriceLots SoldTop Vintage
Cabernet SauvignonRed$1399862013
Sunbasket Vineyard Cabernet SauvignonRed$137782019
Kronos Vineyard Cabernet SauvignonRed$316522013

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Corison is based in the California wine region.

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