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. 

Corison 1:1

Cathy Corison crafts exceptional, restrained and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon between Rutherford & St Helena in Napa. Discover the wines and estate

Discover the wines from Cathy Corison, Napa 

About Corison

Corison 

When Jean-Marie Fourrier bought legendary Australian estate Bass Phillip in early 2020, he envisaged being there a lot – even being there for the 2020 harvest. “But ‘a small virus’ can make things very challenging very fast,” he said, raising an eyebrow. With the arrival of Covid-19, Australia promptly shut its borders – and the winemaker has only been able to visit his new domaine via conference call.   Fourrier is one of Burgundy’s superstars. Since taking over his family estate at the age of just 23 in 1994, his wines have rapidly become some of the region’s finest and most desirable. Based in Gevrey-Chambertin, he crafts wonderfully elegant, pure expressions of Pinot Noir – wines that, given the significant demand, are strictly allocated each year.   When news broke last year, however, that he was venturing Down Under, it was unexpected. In his youth, he did a stint at Domaine Drouhin, Oregon. And while many Burgundy producers have set sail for the US (De Montille, Méo-Camuzet, Drouhin and Lafon, to name but a few), there is something culturally improbable about a Frenchman taking to Australia. (Although it’s not the first Franco-Australian project – with Australian Andrew Nielsen’s Burgundy micro-négoce Le Grappin and Jane Eyre two others.)  Even more unusually, perhaps, he hasn’t set up his own project, but taken over an existing one – and one with quite the legacy.  Bass Phillip – in Gippsland, Victoria – is one of Australia’s iconic wineries. Phillip Jones planted the first vines in Leongatha in 1979, an unlikely choice given, at the time, the area was known for its dairy production rather than viticulture. The first wines were released in 1991 – and established the producer’s reputation for outstanding, age-worthy Pinot.   Phillip Jones has been running the show here ever since. Now 74, and with no children to take Bass Phillip on, he started the search for a successor several years ago.  Enter a consortium led by Soo Hoo Khoon Peng (a Singaporean wine importer and former owner of the Wine Advocate) and Kent Ho (a Hong Kong entrepreneur) who approached Fourrier three years ago. For Fourrier, it seemed like fate, having consulted for the winery briefly in 2002.   “Sometimes you can see the stars aligning,” Fourrier tells me. “I wasn’t specifically looking for Bass Phillip, but it came on my desk, after 20 years.” The deal was signed officially in March 2020.  It was, in Fourrier’s words, “a turning point” in his life. Having already added a négociant arm to his Burgundy operation in 2011, he was looking to expand further – but even for a grower of his success, Burgundy land prices are prohibitive.  “If you don’t expand, you see the next generation fighting over a small company,” explains Fourrier. With two children, an inheritance plan is key to preserving what he has worked so hard to build. This combined with the threat of climate change – excessive heat and frost, and associated yield fluctuations – made diversification to other parts of the world the obvious way forward, providing a sustainable way to preserve the family business.   Australia offered the “possibility to make wine twice a year… and the chance to be a student again,” Fourrier says – his eyes lighting up at the potential.   Some of the appeal was the boutique size of the operation, as well as the age of the vines (planted in 1979 and 1986, and all massal, rather than clonal, selections – something Fourrier is insistent on). He also has a man on the ground – with his brother-in-law Adam Francis, who worked several vintages with Fourrier in Burgundy. Francis, along with his family, has relocated from Adelaide to take on the role of General Manager, handling the day-to-day at Bass Phillip.  While the property’s reputation is for Pinot Noir, Jones initially planted Cabernet Sauvignon – with Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou the original inspiration behind his Gippsland vineyard. After becoming enamoured with the wines of Henri Jayer (whom, coincidentally, was one of Fourrier’s mentors), Jones switched to Pinot Noir, later planting Chardonnay and small plots of other varieties (including Gewürztraminer, Nebbiolo and Gamay).  To this day, Bass Phillip remains unusually isolated given its success – surrounded by dairy farms rather than other vineyards. This cool corner of Victoria is lush and green, cooler and wetter than Burgundy – Fourrier compares it to the climate of Burgundy in the late 1980s and ’90s. “It’s why [the wines] have this purity and character,” Fourrier explains. With water becoming an increasingly precious resource, the site’s 1,000mm of annual rain (compared to 750mm in Burgundy) is a major asset, and the vines have always been dry-farmed.  But with Fourrier at the helm, what lies ahead? “Evolution not revolution” is the philosophy here – and not to imitate Burgundy, Fourrier emphasises, but continue Jones’s work and take Bass Phillip to the next level. In that spirit, much of the original team is staying on – including Senior Winemaker John Durham and Vineyard Manager Mick Kelly.  The winery needs some attention and Fourrier wants to change the trellising of the vines, but the first priority is ensuring that every bottle released performs as expected. “I think Bass sometimes could be a bit inconsistent, a bit bumpy,” Fourrier says. “If I’m not happy to drink a bottle at home with my friends, I’m not happy to sell it. Everything has to be spotless.”  The Burgundian has already started addressing this with the soon-to-be-released 2019s. While he didn’t make the wines, he made the selections for bottling – selling off a third of the volume made and reducing the range significantly. There will now be only four tiers to the range of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: Since 1979 (the newly named entry-level cuvées), Estate, Premium and – the top bottlings – Reserve.  He is also going to change the closures – to help ensure the wines age as well as they should. Corks will – as of 2020 – be courtesy of the same supplier he uses in Burgundy, and foil will be switched for wax (something he feels balances the natural variation in cork).  Otherwise, he plans to gradually reduce the use of new oak (“I don’t like to see the waste of oak, a natural resource”), focusing on the fruit and terroir of Bass Phillip, and he’s examining the philosophy in the vineyards – which are currently farmed biodynamically.  The Burgundian bought the estate just after the 2020 harvest and, with travel impossible, Jones agreed to stay on to make the vintage. The 2021s will be the first wines over which Fourrier had complete control, from vineyard to winery – albeit from afar (“My first digital harvest,” he says, laughing). He’s in constant conversation with the team, talking every couple of days (more during vintage), and very happy with the 2021s. “For me, I can really see the step up of where we want to go,” he says.  Australia’s borders are set to reopen in November and Fourrier plans – restrictions allowing – to be physically present for the 2022 harvest. With his son now 16, he plans a six-year transition in Burgundy so that he can spend more time at Bass Phillip, but he’s also exploring options in the US (he does, after all, have not one but two children). “For whatever reason, I have a secret dream: to make Chardonnay and Pinot in Burgundy, the US and Australia…” he confides. He has concerns regarding the Californian climate, with recent fires and excessive heat troubling his mind, but is considering higher elevations to combat this threat.  The Burgundian has big ambitions – but, fortunately, the talent to match. The world and these new terroirs are, for Fourrier, just “a way to diversify my passion to places I love”. He’s certain he’ll make mistakes along the way – that’s the nature of running a business – but, as he tells me, “Imperfections make the beauty of wine.”  Find out more about and browse listings from Bass Phillip, Domaine Fourrier or Jean-Marie Fourrier. 

Jean-Marie Fourrier is already one of Burgundy’s leading names, but the winemaker is restless. We caught up with him to hear about his new venture in Australia – and why he’s always got one eye on the horizon 

Burgundian winemaker Jean-Marie Fourrier on his new venture in Australia – and why he has always got one eye on the horizon

Jean-Marie Fourrier – from Burgundy to Oz

Jean-Marie Fourrier: from Burgundy to Oz

Bodegas Roda has always strived to be a modern force in Rioja – not dictated by tradition and the region’s strict requirements when it comes to ageing. The estate was founded as recently as 1987, by Mario Rotllánt Solá and Carmen Daurella de Aguilera, who enlisted the help of Rioja expert Agustín Santolaya. Since then it has quickly risen up the ranks and is today regarded as one of the region’s top producers.  From the start, their philosophy has been centred around sourcing the finest clones of Tempranillo. It has proven to be remarkably successful in producing very pure expressions of Rioja, not dominated by oak, but that also age beautifully. These wines are some of Spain’s most exciting, sitting amongst a cohort of producers dedicated to finding the true potential of the country’s indigenous grapes, with old vines and top terroirs. Only made in the best vintages, Cirsion is Bodegas Roda’s top wine – a wine that defies the notion that the best wines should see the longest oak maturation. On the contrary, Roda’s Cirsion sees the shortest time in oak of all its cuvées – just six to eight months, depending on the vintage. The wine was first made as an experiment in 1997, with just 3,000 bottles. The aim was to celebrate Tempranillo’s character by using fruit from only the oldest vines and best clones. Each vine would be individually assessed and picked at optimum ripeness. The result is a wine with seamless tannins and exceptional fruit purity. Cirsion’s appearance on the wine scene challenged the idea that highly concentrated Tempranillo required significant oak ageing to tame its astringent tannins. Roda proved that if the grapes are good enough, the fruit could shine without a cloaking of oak. Despite the shorter time in barrel, tasting through older vintages proves the wines’ ageability. Winemaker Agustín Santolaya remembers at the release of their first vintage that the critics found it so accessible they thought it wouldn’t age well. Tasting the 2004 today is proof they were wrong. The wine is still maturing, full of life and all the more complex for it, as the tertiary notes mingle with beautifully fresh fruit and fragrant heather notes. At the heart of the wine is a core of pristine fruit, something that is retained even with age. It is a wine of great purity and elegance. Tasting through older vintages of Cirsion shows how the balance and quality of fruit in a wine is essential, and sometimes more important than oak ageing, when it comes to producing red wines that will age effortlessly. Bodegas Roda wines 2004 Cirsion There is a real brightness to the 2004 and today it sits firmly in its drinking window, although the overall balance and concentration will see it hold here for some years yet. It has a really inviting nose of red aniseed and dark spice alongside more tertiary moss and forest floor notes. The fruit is on the darker black berry spectrum with vibrant acidity making it feel so lively on the palate. There is lovely volume and weight to the wine, the tannins now fully resolved and melded with the fruit. (100% Tempranillo, 14.5% alcohol) 2009 Cirsion A key principle of Cirsion’s philosophy is to show the imprint of the vintage, the wine made entirely from that vintage – not such a common practice in Rioja. This is abundantly clear when tasting the 2009 and 2010 side by side. As Santolaya admitted, the ‘09 is a lot more tannic and less resolved than both the ’10 and ’04 – likely, he believes, the result of water stress in what was a very warm and dry (Mediterranean) vintage. The ’09 is texturally layered with lots of lovely ripe fruit and still silken, but with a bitter twist on the finish. It is a less typical vintage for Cirsion and, versus the exceptional 2010, a little more ordinary, but still very good. (100% Tempranillo, 14.5% alcohol) 2010 Cirsion The 2010 today is still very youthful – but the balance is fantastic – the tannins are plentiful but silken, the wine full of energy, with mouth-watering acidity and a dense, coiled-spring-like tension to the palate. At 11 years of age, the tertiary flavours are only just beginning to show. It has years ahead of it and will be wonderful to taste with another five years in bottle. The 2010 really captures the Cirsion philosophy of fruit purity above all else. The 2010 has proved to be a great vintage for Roda all round. (100% Tempranillo, 14.5% alcohol) 2018 Cirsion The 2018 is the latest release and while its tannins are nicely ripe and resolute, tasting alongside the 2010, you feel Cirsion (despite its youthful approachability) really benefits from at least five to 10 years in bottle. Its puppy fat stage is still quite oak laden, but again, the refined tannins are impressive and rare to find in Tempranillo of this concentration and richness. It will no doubt blossom with more time in bottle. (90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, 14.5% alcohol) Browse all Roda listings or read more Editorial

Bodegas Roda has always done things a bit differently in Rioja. Their prestige cuvée Cirsion is a perfect example, proving the top wines of the region don’t have to be dominated by oak

Exploring how top Rioja doesn't always have to be dominated by oak, with Bodegas Roda and the perfect example of their prestige cuvée Cirsion 

Finding Tempranillo’s true potential

What is Ornellaia?  Ornellaia is one of Italy’s most respected wineries, based in the Tuscan foothills of Bolgheri. Its top wine – simply titled Ornellaia – is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, first produced in 1985.  Is Ornellaia a Super Tuscan? Yes. Bordeaux varieties grown in Tuscany qualify it as a Super Tuscan. It is in fact situated next door to the pioneering Sassicaia property – the first “Super-Tuscan” estate to start producing a Bordeaux blend in Italy. Ornellaia was founded by Lodovico Antinori – who was actually the nephew of Sassicaia’s Mario Incisa della Rocchetta.   Is Ornellaia owned by the Antinori family?  Not anymore. In 2002, Lodovico Antinori initially sold the property to US winemaker Robert Mondavi, who then sold a 50% share to Frescobaldi – another historic Italian wine-producing family. Following the sale of the Robert Mondavi corporation to Constellation Brands in 2005, Frescobaldi took full ownership of the property. They also own two other iconic Tuscan properties: Ornellaia’s neighbouring property Masseto (Italy’s top Merlot, which up until 2019 was also produced at Ornellaia) and the Brunello di Montalcino estate Tenuta Luce.   Does Ornellaia have anything to do with Solaia?  In short, no. Solaia is another Super Tuscan owned by the Antinori family – Ornellaia’s founder Lodovico Antinori’s brother Piero – so you would be forgiven for getting them confused. Solaia is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend grown on the Tuscan hills within the Chianti Classico region and is situated next to the Tignanello vineyard, another Super Tuscan also owned by Antinori.  What’s so special about Bolgheri?  Bolgheri’s close proximity to the ocean means less cloud and a higher level of reflected light from the sea, magnifying the solar intensity. Secondly these coastal flatlands, in between the mountainous islands of Corsica and the Tuscan hills, are effectively a corridor of wind which creates a high diurnal shift in temperature. This fluctuation between hot days and cool nights locks in the grapes’ acidity, while giving the fruit great concentration and ripeness – enabling the later-ripening Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to thrive.   What makes Ornellaia so unique? Neighbouring both Sassicaia and Masseto, Ornellaia is well situated in the foothills of Bolgheri. Being one of the early settlers in the region, they are one of the few producers who own vineyards in the foothills. The surrounding woodlands are protected and therefore more recent arrivals could only plant vines on the valley floor. Here there is a complex mosaic of soils ranging from marine, alluvial and volcanic soils. Intraplot management means every plot is individually assessed, picked and matured in oak for 12 months before the final blending takes place. Within one vineyard alone the four varieties, eight different rootstocks and multiple geological fault-lines provide a complex palette of expressions to choose from.   Who makes Ornellaia? Axel Heinz has been the winemaker at both Ornellaia and Masseto since 2005, taking over from Thomas Duroux (now the winemaker at Château Palmer). Heinz – originally from Bordeaux and initially working in Pomerol – was well-placed to take on Ornellaia’s expanding portfolio. The estate now produces seven wines in total, one grappa and an olive oil. Le Serre Nuove is the baby brother of Ornellaia (another red Bordeaux blend, very much seen as the Second wine to Ornellaia) typically from younger vines.  What are the great Ornellaia vintages? Speaking with Ornellaia’s Matteo Zanardello, his favourite vintages for drinking now are the 1998 – so elegant, fresh, bright and one of the best vintages in Ornellaia’s history, even if
underplayed by the critics. The 2001 is, he feels, beautiful beautifully now, while the 2006 is starting to open up. A notably fresh vintage with great ageing potential, Galloni described the 2006 as “a breathtaking wine of the highest level” (98 points) – and Matteo compares it to the
soon-to-be-released 2018. Monica Larner rated the 2010 97+, describing it as “a truly outstanding wine that leaves a lasting memory for those who are lucky enough to enjoy it”. The 2011 was slightly overlooked, initially considered to be a little austere, however today
it shows all the great traits of Ornellaia and is another great vintage in Matteo’s view. What is the most recent vintage? Well, a new vintage of Ornellaia is about to be released next week. The 2018, according to winemaker Axel Heinz is characterised by a unique aromatic intensity. In general, the vintage produced much more balanced wines than the intensely hot and dry summer of 2017. The 2018 Ornellaia is therefore a much more elegant offering, following the intensely concentrated 2017. Wine critic Antonio Galloni has already scored it 97 points, comparing it to the 2004 in terms of its silky, aromatic character, saying the vintage is “more about finesse than raw power”.   Keep an eye out for the 2018’s release this week. In the meantime, browse all available Ornellaia listings and find out more about the property 

With the release of 2018 Ornellaia on the horizon, we tell you everything you need to know about the estate – and why it’s become such an icon of the Italian fine wine scene 

Everything you need to know about Ornellaia – and why it’s become such an icon of the Italian fine wine scene 

Everything you need to know about Ornellaia

Ornellaia: a cheat sheet

The latest from Latour In the wake of last week’s launch of the 2016 vintage of the First Growth’s third wine, Pauillac de Latour, the Pauillac powerhouse will be releasing the 2013 vintage of the Grand Vin, as well as 2015 Les Forts de Latour, its second wine. The 2013 is only the second vintage of the Grand Vin that the property has released since it moved away from en primeur – and there’s no doubt, despite the vintage’s sometimes maligned reputation, that this is going to be highly sought-after. New from Champagne March brings with it a bounty of fine fizz releases. Top of our wish-list are the new wines from Henri Giraud – a House that produces small volumes of outstanding, terroir-driven wines, almost all of which are oak-fermented (and is, for that reason, often compared favourably to Krug). We’ll see the latest release of its multi-vintage cuvée (described by Jancis Robinson MW as “a sort of Montrachet of Champagne”) and the new, 2013 vintage of their top wine, Argonne. Keep an eye out also for 2007 Bollinger R.D. and Pol Roger’s 2012 Sir Winston Churchill.  Single-farm spirits The unfailingly modish and exciting Irish distillery Waterford has been making waves in recent weeks, having scientifically proven terroir’s influence in whisky. This month will see the latest spirits from the Irish distillery released – two single-farm single malts that offer a chance for you to explore the concept yourself. One comes from Hook Head – a site on the southern coast with clay-loam soils, while the other hails from Lakefield, with deep loam soils in County Laois. Burgundy There are still a few 2019s emerging from the Côte d’Or – including wines from Domaine des Lambrays and Le Grappin. Clos des Lambrays was a stand-out from our trip in October last year, while Aussie Andrew Nielsen’s Le Grappin wines (a darling of London’s restaurant scene) offer brilliant value year in, year out. The 2021 collection from Maison Leroy has almost entirely sold out, however we’ll also see the latest releases from the rest of Lalou Bize-Leroy’s empire – Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay. Available, as ever, in tiny volumes, these are some of the world’s most collectable wines, and unmissable for Burgundy aficionados. Italian icons After a series of superlative 2016s from Brunello, Tuscany is on the mind. While Castello di Ama’s 2017 San Lorenzo is already available, the 2018 vintage of the Chianti Classico property’s flagship wine, L’Apparita, will be released in the coming weeks. Tasting through a selection of the range with our team, CEO Lorenza Sebasti told us that she and winemaker Marco Pallanti feel it’s “the best we’ve ever made”. We’ll also see the new vintage of Ornellaia’s entry-level bottling – Le Volte dell’Ornellaia, which provides an affordable and earlier-drinking taste of this Super Tuscan estate, ahead of the release of Ornellaia “proper” in April.

A new month brings another flurry of fine wine and spirits releases. While Bordeaux en primeur is on the horizon, March sees new vintages from Latour and the Grandes Marques, as well as releases from Tuscany, Burgundy and Ireland’s most exciting distillery: here’s our pick of the bunch

A new month brings another flurry of fine wine and spirits releases. Here, we pick the best of the bunch – from Latour, Castello di Ama, Waterford and more 