2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos
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Tasting notes
The Kronos vineyard was planted in 1971 on St George rootstock. Farmed organically. Destemmed and fermented in stainless steel with ambient yeasts. Aged in 50% new oak for 20 months. Very dark garnet. Smells of blackcurrant, flowers and the nutty notes of oak. Phenomenal acidity makes flavours of black cherry, blackcurrant and raspberries juicy and bright on the palate. Gorgeous, fine-grained tannins coat the mouth and remain supple through the very long floral and oak-scented finish. While the wood pokes out a bit here in the wine’s youth, it will soon be subsumed into the remarkable fruit and floral character of this wine, which leaves an overall impression of incredibly effortless balance. Easy to drink now but wait a few years for the best experience. This wine is built for the long haul. (AY)
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
As it is in most vintages, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard is gently floral and herbal (sage-like?) on the nose, with those delicate elements joining scents of pencil shavings and cassis. It's cooler-seeming than the Sunbasket Vineyard bottling, with more perfume and less obvious fruit, yet it's still medium to full-bodied, concentrated, tannic, mouthwatering and long. If the Sunbasket is more showy, this is more restrained and perhaps more elegant.
As it is in most vintages, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard is gently floral and herbal (sage-like?) on the nose, with those delicate elements joining scents of pencil shavings and cassis. It's cooler-seeming than the Sunbasket Vineyard bottling, with more perfume and less obvious fruit, yet it's still medium to full-bodied, concentrated, tannic, mouthwatering and long. If the Sunbasket is more showy, this is more restrained and perhaps more elegant.
All varietal, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard is absolutely brilliant and well worth seeking out. Pure blue fruits, cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and tobacco notes are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, layered, flawlessly balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. Brought up in 50% new French oak, it's one classy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that reminds me of a great Saint-Julien. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can, and it will drink well over the following two decades.
About the producer
Cathy Corison is one of Napa’s leading lights – a matriarch of the region who crafts defiantly elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from her old vines on the benchland between Rutherford and St Helena. These refined, long-ageing wines are some of Napa’s most impressive.