Constant Napa Cab at Louis' Newport

Constant Diamond Mountain Cab BYOB at Louis' By the Bay, Newport Beach

Visiting sister Jan & Bro-in-law Bill in SoCal, we dined at Bill's favored dinesite, Louis' in Newport. 

Louie’s by the Bay is a modern Italian steakhouse located on the waterfront along the picturesque Mariner’s Mile in Newport Beach with a 180-degree view of Newport Bay.

As classic steakhouse with several Italian offerings and a couple seafood selections, they have a basic winelist of the core varietals and regions, California and Italian, to accompany the menu selections. 

They publish a high end Captain's list of super ultra-premium labels, French, American and Italian, but apparently no longer hold any of them for offer, as they weren't able to produce an updated list for us to review, perhaps a post Covid casualty. 

We ordered from the menu and shared family style two of the house specialties, a dry aged bone-in ribeye and their classic Crispy Lasagna Bolognese with bechemel and parmigiano reggiano with side accompaniments of Prager Creamed Corn, Broccolini with Bagna Cauda Butter, and mashed potatoes. 

Before the entrees, we had the wedge salad, chopped and for starters, Octopus Cacio e Pepe.

Every selection was delectable and provided for a ideal full course family dinner and the service was impeccable as well.

To accompany our dinner, I brought from our home cellar, BYOB, a Napa Cabernet from Constant Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Vineyards.

With Bill & Beth, Bill & Jan, and
Freddie Constant

I brought this since we discovered, tasted and acquired this wine when we visited together with Jan and Bill the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region. 

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. Tonight as always, we remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine. 

Constant Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

This was a perfect compliment to the grilled beefsteak and the tangy hearty robust lasagna pasta. 

At sixteen years of age, this is likely at its apex and won't improve with further aging, but still has several years life left. 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, big, round, bold dark fruit - blackberry, black currant with some plum and a hint of black cherry, with notes of creosote tar, dark mocha chocolate, tobacco and black tea with full but approachable tannins on the long finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=694607

https://www.constantwine.com/

https://louiesnewport.com/

Diamond Mountain Cabernet Duo

Diamond Mountain Cabernet duo for Tomahawk Rib-eye grilled beefsteak dinner

Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill visiting from SoCal for holiday and family festivities, we pulled from the cellar a couple of classic super premium Cabernets for a Tomahawb Rib-eye beefsteak dinner. Bill chose two wines where Jan and Bill accompanied us to a pair of private tastings at both estates during our Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011. - Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards, and Diamond Creek Vineyards. At seventeen and eighteen years of age, this was a good vintage comparison of two vintage wines perhaps at the apex of their drinkability. 

As shown, both bottles' fill levels, labels, foils and corks were in ideal, near perfect condition - another testament to the provenance conditions of our wine cellar.

Diamond Mountain Vineyards Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 

We last tasted this Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet Cabernet 2004 during the Coronavirus shut-in in the spring of 2020. As I wrote in a blogpost at that time, we discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We're approaching the end of a case of Constant wines we acquired then, and again, tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has continued to develop very nicely. At seventeen years of age it still has life left and may be at its apex, perhaps still benefiting from continued graceful aging.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993. While they started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon then, their first vintage release under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label was in 1995. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow 2003 

We visited Diamond Mountain Wine Experience - Diamond Creek Vineyards with Jan and Bill and were hosted by matriarch founder Boots Brownstein. 

A trip to Napa Valley Diamond Mountain by the serious wine enthusiast or collector would not be complete without a visit to the legendary Diamond Creek Vineyards. Founded in 1968 by the late Al Brounstein, a visionary pioneer who defied conventions of the time by planting Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Range at the north remote end of Napa Valley.

This is one of the four Diamond Creek labels - all single vineyard designated bottlings from one of their distinctive four vineyards. Diamond Creek is a case study in terroir - each of its four vineyards with its own micro-climate, soil type and geography that are revealed in their single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines - named for their four distinctly different origination vineyards. The vineyards of Diamond Creek are  Gravelly Meadow (5 acres - center left), Red Rock Terrace (7 acres front), Volcanic Hill (8 acres opposite), and Lake (¾ acre), plus Petit Verdot (1 acre) to the left outside of frame. The vineyards as pictured below, are amazingly co-located close to each other yet have distinctive individual characteristics that are revealed in their wines.

Our visit to the chateau and tasting room provided a spectacular tasting experience with the magnificent setting and view of the vineyards on the slope and meadow below and of the opposing hillside.

 

The private tasting at Diamond Creek chateau offered an elegant tasting experience showcasing their wines harmonized by Diamond Creek cabernet sauvignon reduction with petit beef tenderloin and artisanal cheeses.

We visited the estate again during our 2017 Napa Valley Wine Experience for their release tasting of the 2015 vintage Diamond Creek releases at an Open House held at the Estate. 

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 

Our Cellartracker records indicate we have a dozen vintages of this label dating back to the 1983 vintage, birthyear of our daughter-in-law, Michelle. We served that wine from magnum at her and son Ryan's wedding. 

K&L Notes indicate that "This muscle-bound Cabernet hails from Diamond Creek's second coolest mesoclimate. The five-acre Gravelly Meadow vineyard was originally a prehistoric river bed. Today, this stony, gravelly soil drains rapidly, and the vines must struggle for moisture. Gravelly Meadow is also this esteemed winery's lowest yielding vineyard, typically producing a Cabernet that is earthy and a touch cedary, as well as jammy with ripe blackberry with a spicy expansive finish. This one needs time. And more time. After which it will blow you away." 

This was awarded 93 points by Wine & Spirits,  90 points by  Connoisseurs Guide. 

Tonight, this was dazzling, not as forward, bright or vibrant as the more expressive Constant, more subdued but full, round, perfectly balanced, elegant and polished. Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex black fruits with earthiness, truffles, dark mocha chocolate, hints of mint on a moderate, smooth tannin laced lingering finish. 

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=104586

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/07/diamond-creek-open-house-2013-release.html

https://www.diamondcreekvineyards.com/

 

 

Waygu Beefsteak dinner with Diamond Mtn Cab Franc

Waygu Beefsteak dinner with Diamond Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Son Ryan came over to discuss joint business engagement and he brought Waygu Beefsteaks to cook on the grill. I pulled from the cellar a Constant Diamond Mountain Cab Franc for the occasion. 

Linda prepared ceasar salad, brussel sprouts and baked potatoes and ceasar salad for the dinner. 

Purebred Wagyu Japanese cattle are crossbred with traditional beef cattle breeds to create American Wagyu Beef, considered the finest,  ideal combination of the exceptional intramuscular marbling of purebred Japanese Wagyu, and the intense meaty flavor of traditional American cattle. The result is a perfect blend of famous Wagyu buttery marbling and the robust beef flavor for which American beef is known. It was made famous in the Kobe region of Japan and was traditionally known as Kobe beef, much akin to Champagne hailing from the famous wine region in France.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2007

We tasted and acquired this wine at the magnificent Constant Diamond Mtn. Vineyard and Winery estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mtn Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2011.

Shown right with the late Freddie Constant is fellow Pour Boy Bill, Beth, Bro-in-law Bill, Jan, Linda and me.

Tonight's tasting was consistent with our previous tasting of this label way back in 2014. 

At fourteen years, this is aging well, perhaps continuing at its apex, and showing no signs of diminution whatsoever. It was delicious and a perfect pairing with the ultra premium Waygu beefsteaks. 

My last tasting note as posted on cellartracker, and blogspot back on 11/21/2014 - I like this wine: 93 Points.

Bright dark ruby/purple colored, medium to full bodied, this was bright vibrant full forward black berry and black currant fruit with a bold punch of sweet almost cinnamon spice accented by tones of mocha chocolate, soft sweet oak with dusty lush pleasing tongue coating lingering tannins.

RM 93 points.

http://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/11/constant-cab-franc-and-eileen-hardy.html

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1262714

https://www.constantwine.com/

Horizontal tasting of 2004 Napa Valley Mountain Cabernets

Horizontal tasting of 2004 Napa Valley Mountain Cabernets from estate visits and private wine tastings

Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill flew in from Socal for our Mom's funeral proceedings this weekend. For such a poignant family gathering celebration of life dinner, we prepared a grilled beef tenderloin dinner and opened some special wines. We pulled from the cellar a pair of Napa Cabernets from Estate visits that we attended together - this Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet and the Ladera below. Notably, tonight's dinner was a tribute not only to Mom, but to wine producer Freddie Constant who passed since our visit.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

I wrote a while back when we opened a bottle of this label for another special dinner.  

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner. 

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

We also acquired this bottle during another winery visit with Jan and Bill. 

Ladera Lone Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

We served another label from this producer that we also acquired during our Napa Valley winery visit together during Sister Jan's visit from SoCal a couple weeks ago. 

Once again I pulled from our cellar a bottle of Napa Cab from a producer we visited with Jan and husband Bill during one of our Napa Valley Wine Experience trips together. Shown left, Jan and Bill with proprietor/producer Anne Stotesbury at Ladera Vineyards and Winery up on Howell Mtn during our Howell Mtn appellation tour in 2008. 

We last tasted and posted about this wine just a couple months ago when I reposted about this producer and label, we discovered this wine and purchased it following our visit to the Ladera Vineyards estate and winery up on Howell Mountain in 2006 and then again during our Napa Valley Howell Mountain Wine Experience 2008. 

We'd driven past the property, formerly the historic Chateau Woltner many times over the years on our treks up Howell Mountain in northeast Napa Valley.

The fabulous historic winery building consisted of production and barrel storage below and a rustic tasting room upstairs. It is surrounded by spectacular gardens, beds of lavender, and of course the vineyards. 

 

Ladera was founded when Stotesburys moved their family to Napa Valley from Montana in 2000 when they acquired a historic Howell Mountain property featuring an 82-acre vineyard. For the next 16 years, this property served as the home for Ladera.

Ladera initially primarily focused on Cabernet Sauvignon of which we still hold a several cases of four different labels across several vintages from this era.  

Around 2008, their son Dan visited us while on a wine promotion trip to/thru Chicago and we took him around to several of the local wine merchants in the area.  

Stotesburys sold the Ladera land on Howell Mountain in 2016, following the earlier sales of their Lone Canyon and the Mount Veeder properties.

Ladera Lone Canyon Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Ladera produced several labels of Cabernet Sauvignon including several sub-appellation designated labels from Howell Mountain and this one from Lone Canyon. This is our first tasting of several bottle in a mixed case we acquired a while back near its release. 

This was awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator and 90 points by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, firm, tight and concentrated complex black berry and black raspberry fruits with notes of black tea, cassis, mineral sage and herbs with fine smooth tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.laderavineyards.com/

http://mcnees.org/winesite/napa/napa_08/img_napa08_ladera_winery_remc.jpg

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/08/ladera-napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon.html

 

 

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Cabernet 2004

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

With the late Freddie Constant at the Constant
Diamond Mountain estate

As the Coronavirus shut-in continues, tonight, we ordered out from Angelis Italian, our favorite neigborhood trattoria and wanted a special bottle of wine, so we pulled from the cellar this Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet.

We discovered and acquired this wine when we visited the spectacular picturesque Constant Vineyards estate high atop Diamond Mountain during our Diamond Mountain Appellation Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2011.

We still hold close to a case of Constant wines and tonight we were rewarded for being patient as this wine has developed very nicely.

Our tasting and visit back then were hosted by proprietor Freddie Constant, founder and proprietor. Sadly, Freddie passed away in 2014. All of our group that were there remember him fondly and toast him each time we drink his wine.

The Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard sits at the peak of Diamond Mountain on the Mayacamas Range separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west and is one of the area’s highest, oldest, and smallest wineries in the region. At 2121 feet above sea level, it may be the highest, or certainly one of the highest, vineyards in the region.

Constant Diamond Mountain Estate Vineyards

The Diamond Mountain District appellation, one of the smaller Napa wine districts, sits just south of and above the town of Calistoga in the northwest corner of Napa Valley.

The unique terroir and micro-climate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, The sun drenched slopes with their rocky terrain and volcanic soil produce rich concentrated Bordeaux varietal fruit.

Today the area is home to some of the most notable and prestigious labels including the namesake label Diamond Mountain vineyards. Our afternoon on the mountaintop retreat was one of the more memorable settings from our many Napa Valley trips.

The mountaintop land that would become Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was first settled in 1895 by Andras Rasmussen, a Danish immigrant. After working in the wine industry for 15 years at Talcoa Vineyard (now Hudson Vineyard in Carneros), at Summit Vineyard and Winery, and studying viticulture at UC Davis – Rasmussen purchased 120 forested acres atop Diamond Mountain, cleared about 30 acres himself, and planted the first grapevines at the summit.

The vines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s due to Prohibition.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard was established by Freddy and Mary Constant in 1993 when they bought a dilapidated but historic farmhouse and set upon reestablishing the vineyards which by then were overgrown and wild.

The couple had backgrounds as radio station entrepreneurs but their plan on Diamond Mountain was to grow and sell grapes to winemakers. They believed they had a unique and spectacular plot of land capable of producing premium fruit and soon they were growing grapes for several of the best winemakers in the area.

The started producing small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon but their first vintage in 1993 was not to their standards and it was never released.  They released their first vintage in 1995 under the Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard label. They proceeded to build a winery on the estate producing their wine under the Constant label and brand. In 1999 Wine Spectator wrote that Constant was “a new can’t miss Cabernet, this vineyard is able to produce stunning wines on a consistent basis.” The original winemaker was the notable Philippe Melka. With the 2009 vintage, Paul Hobbs took over as consulting winemaker.

Notably, we collect Philippe Melka wines to this day an featured his label at a recent business dinner. 

Freddie and Mary hired renowned architect Howard Backen who built a stunning house along with a tasting room hospitality center overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena.

In 2016, Aries Liu and Sai You became the property’s caretakers with the continued commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s best Bordeaux varietals.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

I believe this is the best, most memorable Constant Cabernet I have had and may be, at sixteen years of age, at the apex of its drinking profile and window.
 
Deep garnet purple color, medium-full bodied, delicious concentrated but smooth and elegant and nicely balanced ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits with hints of black currant, notes of spice and graphite.

RM 92 points. 

The blend includes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=437961

https://www.constantwine.com/

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Constant Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 -
The adventure, joy, and perils of holding vintage wine for a couple decades or more ...

Son Ryan came over for the evening and we went down and dug deep into the cellar to pull out this aged 1998 vintage release Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. We acquired this wine at the Estate during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2011. My early blogpost of our visit to Constant Diamond Mtn Vineyard was here.

Bill & Beth, Bill & Jan, the late Freddie Constant,
Linda and me.

I’ve written often about the 1998 vintage Napa Cabernets. It was widely panned as being a subpar vintage, especially after the much heralded block buster ’97. As a result, prices on the 98 releases were lower, especially after a couple of years when 98’s were still sitting on the shelves and the vintage was considered lackluster relative to the range of choices of more favored releases.

Lo and behold, IMHO this represented an opportunity to pick up quality wines at bargain prices when compared to the higher price points on the highly rated releases. Ironically, a decade, and now two decades later, those wines were and are often tasting very nicely and in some cases are on par equivalent to some of the other vintage releases.

Often, ‘off’ vintages can provide great QPR (Quality Price Ratios). Of course, perhaps just as often, off vintages are just that, ‘off’ in terms of quality in some way or other, due to whatever shortcomings that vintage suffered, excessive heat, not enough rain at the right times, or too much rain at the in-opportune times, all suppressants to the realized quality of fine wine.

This disparity was magnified perhaps by the fact that the much heralded 97 vintage in many cases, never achieved its lofty accolades and expectations – too closed, too tight, too subdued, or some other diminution of expectations.

Perhaps its time will come as the ‘lesser’ 98 reaches and surpasses its prime drinking window and eventually end of life, while the 97, a longer lived vintage, lives on, and perhaps still realizes the apex of its potential, late in life. It can happen. . So, caveat emptor. Don’t be afraid to invest in ‘off’ vintages. The price differential can be significant with savings of 50% or more.

Often, only in such years are some of the higher rated, ranked wines approachable or affordable. Take advantage to experiment, if you dare. You might be mightily rewarded. Or, your lowered expectations will be met.

Another related point, my wine buddies have heard me talk about my experience with a case of Dominus Proprietary Red Wine that I purchased on release back in 1986. Dominus, the Napa Valley project of legendary Bordeaux owner/producer/winemaker Christian Moueix often trades at super premium prices, and tends to be a long lived wine, in the tradition and style of sophisticated, complex Bordeaux’s.

Those early Dominus labels featured pencil sketch drawings of Christian Moueix on the labels for the first decade, up until the 1991 vintage release.

With that 1986 Dominus, I was patient, and waited, and opened a bottle of the 1986 around 1989 or 90. It was lackluster, rather closed and tight. I waited another couple years with the same effect. This exercise was repeated several more times until about 2006, when at twenty years of age, two decades, it showed complexity, polish, balance, breadth and depth – the attributes of its true character and potential one might hope for or expect from the pedigree’d label. Alas. That is what Dominus is supposed to taste like. But then, ahah, I only had three bottles left to experience its magnificence.

While its fun to enjoys one’s investment in a cellar, with case lots of wine, to experience how a wine will age and mature and hopefully improve over time, there is the real risk of drinking your wine too early, or holding it too long. I now realized I drank many of my Bordeaux from quality 1980’s era vintages too young. But, I also fairly often come across a bottle that I held on to too long, especially if it got overlooked or lost in the cellar, or just got passed over too many times for something more appealing or exciting. Such is the art of collecting fine wines.

Most folks would think that we hold onto our wines too long and drink them too late. Count my wife, Linda in those ranks. We look at it as part of the adventure.

Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

My previous tasting of this label was in March of this year when I had a similar tasting experience and wrote: "Some bottles of this vintage are at or nearing their end of life and need to be consumed. While at the end of or past its prime drinking window, this bottle was still holding its own, maintaining its fruit and some of its terroir character and profile.'

"Dark garnet colored with some slight bricking in color, medium bodied, the black fruit is giving way to notes of earth, spice, leather and hints of vegetable with modest tannins. Time to drink up but this was still pleasant drinking."

https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/03/constant-vineyards-diamond-mountain.html

Tonight, this 1998 Constant was drinking very nicely – probably as good as ever, and most assuredly not likely to improve any with further aging, and very likely to start to diminish from this point forward.

Not for the casual feint of heart drinker, son Ryan and I enjoyed it and its ‘maturity’ immensely, and we opened something more ‘youthful’, or ‘approachable’ for Linda and the others.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=43557
 

Bon chance!  

Family dinner features vintage Napa Cabernets Constant and Snowden

Family dinner features vintage Napa Cabernets Constant and Snowden

Bill and Beth, Bill and Jan, Freddie Constant,
Linda and your's truly

With sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill visiting from OC, we opened for a grilled tenderloin steak dinner two classic 1995 vintage Napa Valley Cabernets, Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards and Snowden.

We still hold more than a half dozen vintages of each of these wines dating back to these early releases in the mid-nineties.

Jan and Bill were with us when we visited the spectacular Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyards (shown below) high atop Diamond Mountain where were hosted by the late Freddie Constant (shown right), owner, during our Napa Valley Wine Experience back in 2011.

Constant tasting room overlooking infinity pool
with vineyards in the background

Constant is one of the oldest producing vineyards in Napa Valley and sits at the top of Diamond Mountain toward the north end of the Mayacamas Range straddling the summit separating Napa Valley to the east and Sonoma Valley to the west. 

We scoured the cellar for a Constant Cabernet to commemorate that visit and pulled this bottle, the oldest vintage in our collection.

To match the vintage for a mini-horizontal tasting we also pulled this 1995 Snowden from the same vintage.

Constant Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Vineyard  Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

This was the last bottle from a three bottle lot of this vintage that we acquired at auction. We acquired more recent vintages of this wine during our winery visit in 2011. Tonight we pulled the oldest vintage in our cellar as part of regular cellar management.

This bottle showed signs of recent seepage and the cork was a bit saturated so it was time to drink. This bottle showed some modest signs of diminution from age and perhaps the seepage exfiltration.

From my previous earlier tasting of this label back in 2013; "Wow, what a surprise, we had tasted this wine previously with uninspiring results. Tonight, this wine overachieved, vastly exceeding expectations. Dark purple color, medium to full bodied, full forward flavors of black berry and black cherry fruits with traces of anise and hints of tobacco, tea and leather on a lingering, moderate, soft tannin finish"

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=36373


 Snowden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 1995

To round out a mini-horizontal tasting, we selected another 1995 Napa Cab to complement and compare with the Constant above.

Like the Constant, we tasted this during a Napa Valley wine visit with the Producer. We tasted and acquired this wine during a Napa Valley visit where we met the producer Randy Snowden during a wine dinner we hosted with him at Brix Restaurant during one of our Napa Valley Wine tours back in the late 1990's.Pre-internet and digital photography, I don't have records or photos to memorialize that event.

This was remarkably holding its own at 28 years of age showing modest signs of diminution from aging, but no serious deterioration, still within its drinking window, albeit past its prime.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium-full bodied, bright floral sprites with ripe tangy black cherry and berry fruits accented with notes of leather, tobacco leaf, tea, hints of spice and oak on a moderate tannin finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=322981

Later we pulled another vintage 1995 from the cellar to continue or horizontal tasting, a Rosemount Balmoral Shiraz 1995.

Rosemount Estates Balmoral McLaren Vale Shiraz 1995

Like the Oracle Shiraz pulled last night after dinner, we hold more than a dozen vintages of this Australian Shiraz and as above, we pulled one of the earlier, older vintages to round out this horizontal vintage tasting.

Its been eight years since our last published tasting notes of this vintage release. While still holding its own after 23 years, this too is showing its age as the berry fruits turn to tones of raisin, fig and tobacco.

Dark full flavor, over ripe berry, raisin, notes of blueberry, plum fruit, with spice and anise. Showing age on opening but opened and softened with a long full complex finish.

This frontal assault of raisiny fruits was a bit over the top for Bill, not for the feint of heart, but the blueberry tones still reveal themselves - almost bordering on notes of a Port, this was well suited for after dinner with the dark chocolate deserts and hearty cheeses over the grilled steak.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=12022