Diamond Creek Open House 2015 Release Tasting

Diamond Creek Open House 2015 Release Wine Tasting

We opened our 2017 Napa Valley Wine Experience with a visit to the iconic Diamond Creek Vineyards for their release tasting of the 2015 vintage Diamond Creek releases at an Open House held at the Estate. We were treated to a vineyards tour by second generation step-son general manager Phil Ross (left with Pour Boys, Bill, Dan, Rick) and his wife Mary, who shared stories of the legendary founder Al Brownstein and the history of the estate. We know Al was the visionary pioneer who brought Bordeaux varietals to Napa Valley but we learned the original vines were actual cuttings from the legendary Bordeaux first growth Chateau Latour, shared with Al during his visit there in the early seventies.

Phil shared stories of the development of the property and Al's passion for designing and building the eleven waterfalls and crafting the lake and parks by sculpting and managing the flow of Diamond Creek that winds through the property.

Diamond Creek is synonymous for terroir with their iconic vineyards named for and memorializing the three distinct soil types that comprise the three distinct vineyard sites on the property - Volcanic Hill with its lighter ash soil white slope facing south, Red Rock Terrace with its north-facing slope in red, iron-rich soil, and the pebble stone texture of the five acres at Gravelly Meadow, part of an ancient riverbed, the coolest site of Diamond Creek's three main vineyards.

Al was ahead of his time in developing, marketing and branding three different single vineyard designated wines devoted to the three vineyards. Today they are the quintessential example of the distinction afforded micro-climate and terroir based labels, based on their soil types, and angle and slope configuration to the daily sun.

We learned this day that there are 60 different soil types in Napa Valley, half of the soil types found in the entire world, and that Gravelly Meadow is composed of the same soil as found in the Rutherford appellation on the central valley floor, having been washed down from the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains the form the western slope edge of the valley.

Actually, there are four vineyards and single vineyard designated wine labels if you count the 3/4 acre Lake Vineyard that is only produced and released in special vintages - sixteen times in the forty years of production on the property. Other years it is blended into the other wines.

We toured each of the four legendary vineyards and the gardens that Al crafted on the property with Phil sharing stories of their development and evolution over the years. Amazingly, the creek, dam and lake survived eighty inches of rainfall last winter, twice the norm for a season.

The day culminated in a tasting of the just bottled soon to be released 2015 vintage of the three vineyard designated wines. Hosting the event was Boots Brownstein (right), co-founder and matriarch of the family and the vineyards/winery. It was a pleasure meeting her again, having met her during our winery visit and private tasting during our Napa Wine Experience back in 2011.

The wines:

We continually debate which is our favorite which I akin to selecting your favorite of your kids ... In my case, probably like others, it changes from vintage to vintage, and over time as the wines evolve and mature, and under the circumstances, as the different profiles will pair differently with foods, cheeses and the like. Always a fun experience when you have the luxury or privilege to do a comparison tasting.

At these price points, for most of us, these are special occasion wines. We have many fond memories of previous tastings of Diamond Creek Cabernets.

Linda and I served a flight of Diamond Creek magnums at son Ryan's wedding to Michelle Diamond. In addition to the horizontal selection of each Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from magnums we also served several birth year vintages.

Birth year wines - Bill and Beth C, served birth-year vintage 1982 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon from double magnum at the wedding of their son Will.

Then, they served Diamond Creek Napa Valley Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon 1984 from magnums at son Drew's wedding reception dinner. They featured 1989 vintage Diamond Creek Lake Vineyard for son Matt's wedding rehearsal dinner.


I opened Dan's daughter Hillary's birthyear labels when he announced her wedding engagement at one of our wine dinners.

Sis Jan and Bro-in-law Bill, who accompanied us to our Diamond Creek private tasting served Diamond Creek at Gala Wedding Celebration Dinner at niece Krista's wedding celebration.


The 2015 release tasting:

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

The first of the three labels tasted, it immediately became my favorite, and the benchmark against which the others were compared. This was the most vibrant and expressive fruit of the three, although the others' fruit gave way to more complexity with layer of accent flavors.

Dark inky garnet colored, full boded, rich, concentrated black raspberry black berry fruits with notes of sweet clove spice, hints of floral and cassis and black pepper with a long pronounced finish of smooth well balanced tannins.

RM 93 points.

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

This was more complex than RRT above as it added another layer of complexity with notes of smoke and cedar or camphor. Dark inky garnet colored,  full bodied, blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of anise, graphite and camphor and cedar.

RM 94.

Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Like the Gravelly Meadow, this was also more complex than RRT above as it added another layer of complexity with notes of smoke and cedar or camphor. Dark inky garnet colored,  full bodied, blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of smokey cedar and camphor turning to notes of anise and graphite on a long complex smooth tannin finish.

RM 94. 

Phil Ross and Boots Bournstein are in charge of managing Diamond creek today.
Read more at:http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/california-wine/diamond-creek-california-wine-cabernet-sauvignon/

Phil Ross and Boots Bournstein are in charge of managing Diamond creek today.
Read more at:http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/california-wine/diamond-creek-california-wine-cabernet-sauvignon/

Diamond Creek, Dunn, Craig Napa Big Reds Highlight Gala Wedding Celebration Dinner

Napa Big Reds Highlight Gala Carte-Conrad Wedding Celebration Dinner - Diamond Creek, Dunn, Craig, Lamborn

Another gala wedding celebration - Andrew Carte and Krista Conrad - offered an opportunity to indulge in special occasion fine wines. As with a couple earlier events this summer/fall of family weddings within our intimate wine group, Dr Dan's and then Bill and Beth C's, niece Krista's wedding celebration gave Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill (shown below) a chance to showcase some special wines. The festive event was held at the tony Mission Viejo Country Club.

This was extra special not just because it was a family wedding, but also because all the wines featured were from Napa winery visits that we had attended together.

Brother Bill is a different Bill C from another wine buddy with same name/initial featured regularly in these pages. Some of our favorite and most memorable winery visits in Napa Valley were with Bill and Jan - Diamond Creek, Dunn Family Vineyards, Lamborn Family Vineyards and Robert Craig Wines. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that when they celebrated their daughter's wedding dinner, the wines served were from those events/prodcers.

Several folks commented about the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cabernet served at the wedding to which I responded that its one of our favorites. Indeed, we're big fans of Robert Craig and have visited with the producer on numerous occasions. We first met Robert and tasted his wines back at our first visit to Robert Craig during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 1996, and then again at our Robert Craig featured producer wine dinners in Napa Wine Experience 1998, and again in 1999. We tasted his Howell Mountain Zinfandels at the Robert Craig Howell Mountain Harvest Party '09 and during other visits such as our 2008 Robert Craig Vineyards and Winery visit up on Howell Mountain. Needless to say, we're long time fans of Bob and the Craig team and their 'artwork'.

Perhaps my preference for Howell Mountain appellation wines influenced Bill's collecting and subsequent selection of three of the four select wines served. 

I write often here about special occasion wines that add to the joy and enjoyment of the event. The fun was punctuated by being assigned wine steward duties to oversee the preparation and serving of the select wines at the reception dinner. Its what I live for ... but was the very least I could do in consideration of Bill and friend Andy having spent an entire afternoon prepping the wine at our daughter Erin's wedding dinner.

For the family and select guest tables at the dinner, we served the big Napa Cabs, and for another table of proclaimed Zin enthusiasts, Bill served Lamborn Family Vineyards Zinfandel - another producer visited together during one of our Napa Valley excursions.

The wines were all perfect accompaniments to the filet of beef and salmon dinner.

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This wine was tasted and sourced during our visit to the spectacular Diamond Creek vineyards back in 2010. As a group, we have a long tradition of serving this wine at such occasions. Linda and I served a flight of Diamond Creek magnums at son Ryan's wedding to Michelle Diamond. Bill and Beth C, shown pictured with Bill and Jan and us at that visit to Diamond Creek, served birth-year vintage 1982 Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon from double magnum at the wedding of their son Will. Then, this summer, they served Diamond Creek from magnums at son Drew's wedding reception dinner.

Tonight this Diamond Creek ..

Ruby red, medium-full bodied, full forward bright vibrant red and black berry fruit flavors showing a layer of acid on the front before turning to tones of cedar, mineral and dusty earthy leather. I sense this begs for more time to settle and develop a bit more.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=698360

Dunn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

We also visited Dunn Family Vineyards with Jan and Bill during our Napa Valley Wine Experience in 2008. Bill sourced these wines from the producer during that visit. Again we've served Dunn Cabernet at numerous such occasions, most recently, when Dr Dan's daughter was married this summer, I served her birth-year Dunn Napa Cabernet at a dinner with the group upon the announcement of their engagement.

What a showing! Randy Dunn's Cabernets are legendary for being long lived wines, especially his Howell Mountain vineyard designated label, while his Napa Valley label is supposed to be approachable earlier.

Based on tonight's tasting, its hard to imagine this Dunn could be any better, drinking very well at eight years of age. It was the most vibrant and expressive of the three legendary Cabernet labels.

Dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, complex but smooth and balanced, forward black berry and black currant fruits giving way to tones of cedar and graphite, hints of sage and leather and spicy oak on the moderate tannin long lingering finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=683136

Robert Craig Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

We have visited Robert Craig's site high atop Howell Mountain several times with both Jan and Bill, and Bill and Beth C. One of our memorable trips featured a picnic lunch at the site overlooking the  valley below. It was during that trip that Bill discovered and subsequently sourced Howell Mountain Cabernet (and the Zinfandel below) served to several of the tables at Krista's wedding.

As featured often in these pages, Robert Craig has several Napa Valley labels featuring Mt Veeder, Mt George, Spring Mountain and this Howell Mountain appellations. I often cite this as my favorite and tonight showed this label at its best showing characteristics that I favor - dark garnet colored, full bodied, full dark berry and black raspberry fruits accented by a layer of spice, sweet mocha dark chocolate and spicy oak on a full long lingering finish.

RM 94 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1820974

Lamborn Family Vineyards "The Abundant Vintage" Howell Mountain Zinfandel 2009

Lamborn Family Vineyards was another featured producer that we visited up atop Howell Mountain during our 2008 Napa Valley Wine Experience. Today legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett crafts their Estate grown Cabs and Zins. This is classic Howell Mountain Zin with full forward brambly fruit flavors. Bill served this wine to a table of Zin enthusiasts to much fanfare and acclaim.

Dark garnet/purple colored, medium/full bodied, black berry fruits with tones of pepper, hints of creosote and spice on a sweet tinged tangy moderate finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.lamborn.com/

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1241258

Still gathering pictures and notes ... More to come ..

Diamond Creek Birth Year Tribute Tasting - 1984

Diamond Creek Birth Year Tribute Tasting - 1984

To celebrate the wedding of Drew and Alyssa, father of the groom, Bill obtained and served birth year 1984 vintage Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon in large format Magnums with the reception dinner. Bill obtained these special bottles from auction over the years and had been holding them in his cellar for the occasion. I dutifully offered to serve as sommelier for Bill so he and Beth could focus on parents-of-the- groom duties. I removed the foils and used an 'ahso' two pronge cork puller in the event the aged corks were dry or deteriorated. The fill levels were appropriate and the corks came out in great condition - firm and moist.

We visited Diamond Creek Vineyards during our Napa Valley Wine Experience 2008 with Bill and Beth on Diamond Mountain above Calistoga. The spectacular tasting in the Estate tasting room overlooking the vineyards which are all co-located there on the property within view was one of the highlights of our trip.  

Shown above is our tasting at Diamond Creek and below, the view overlooking Diamond Creek Vineyards, Red Rock Terrace in the foreground, Volcanic Hill opposite, and Gravelly Meadow to the left.

Both wines were dark garnet colored and medium bodied. Recall back in the era, the early days of Robert Parker, when wines were more true to their terrior and production was more fundamentally basic, not highly extracted, in your face fruit forward fruit bombs that are deep but narrow.

Parker liked that style and through this review ratings reflecting his preference, introduced the era of such fruit forward obtuse wines,  full bodied, tongue coating, highly expressive, rich, chewy, berry fruit wines. Along with the high fruit richness comes higher alcohol content - 14+, even 15%. Compare that to these wines at 12 1/2 percent alcohol.

Prior to these influences of the Parker effect, as measured in high Parker Ratings, things were simpler, more 'shallow', less pronounced wines. These are a bellweather benchmark wines of that era. Expressive, complex, but not in its richness and deepness, but in its complexity of subtle nuances of fruits and defining and complementary tones. To that end, both wines were 12 1/2 percent alcohol, quite modest by today's standards. Their flavors and profile are more subtle, but no less interesting or enjoyable.

Diamond Creek Napa Valley Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon 1984
 
Bill's review from Cellartracker -

Opened beautifully, demonstrating the Left bank Bordeaux style expected from Diamond Creek. Perfumey nose like a Margaux. Medium garnet I the glass. Complex layers of leather, tobacco box, earthiness and dark fruit. An interesting contrast to the 84 Volcanic Hill served side by side at #2 son's wedding. Two Diamond Creek magnums from his birth year. The '84's continue to impress.

WCC 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21329

Diamond Creek Napa Valley Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 1984

Bill's review from Cellartracker - Showing its age but still some interest left. Color was a medium ruby with some signs of bricking. Opened rather one dimensional. Still a bit of fruit left but no noticeable tannins. After 90 minutes or more, this began to open to reveal more of a Bordeaux style with notes of leather, tobacco and minerality. A reminder that with these older wines need to be tasted frequently through an evening as they evolve. Still a wonderful opportunity to celebrate #2 sons wedding with a premier wine from his birth year.

WCC 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=21330

http://diamondcreekvineyards.com/