2014 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard

Another year of drought led to less consistency in fruit set and clusters, while a warm spring helped start an earlier vintage. Berry size tended to be smaller in 2014 compared with 2012, while overall yields in the region were still ample. The combination means, generally speaking, wines from 2014 offer a lot of the pretty, fruit-forward presence of the 2012 vintage with a bit more structure, though not the structural depth of the 2013s. Ruby black core to lighter ruby edges. Star bright in the glass. Cedar and white mushroom, dried citrus, and hints of gunpowder on the nose. Juicy, mouth-watering palate with plenty of flavour. Exotic perfume and fruits carry from nose to palate. A nice wine with good depth though a bit broader strokes compared with the incredible finesse and complexity of the 2013. Still quite young and will do well with time in bottle. Persistent tannin and balanced acidity carry into a very long finish. (ECB)

100% Cabernet Sauvignon . Very subtle purple fruit array on the nose. Sinewy but not at all skinny. Some violet cachou notes. Appetising. Made to make you want another mouthful? (This was the first wine I was tempted to swallow.) Super-clean but the opposite of showy. So neat. Briney. Something naval about this… (JR)

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard is a fair click more expensive and is all Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in 50% new French oak. Its similarly ruby/purple color is followed by a bigger, richer wine that offers lots of currants, spice, blueberries, and roasted herb aromas and flavors. It's ripe, beautifully textured, elegant and balanced, with a mid-weight, yet concentrated, layered style. It should evolve nicely as well.