Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace comes from seven acres of the 20-acre vineyard (whereas the Gravelly Meadow emerges from five acres). The terroir is iron-rich, red, rocky soil in contrast to the light, gravelly, ashy soils of the Gravelly Meadow. Super-intense, rich, more backward and powerful than the Gravelly Meadow, this dense purple wine offers up notes of beef blood, crème de cassis, blackberry, licorice and earth. Full-bodied, powerful and incredibly well-balanced, this is wine for 25-30 or more years of aging. In fact, don’t plan on drinking a bottle for at least another 5-8 years.
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James Suckling
There is a richness in the center palate with a full body and juicy and chewy tannins. Still a firmness and structure here that suggests it needs even more age. Plums, flowers and cloves. Surprisingly youthful.
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Decanter
Bright blackberry and red cherry marry with scents of mountain laurel and mint, followed by a juicy, supple wine with real cut and energy. This is the most open-knit and accessible of Diamond Creek's cuvées, but don’t let that decieve you: its track record for aging is just as strong as its stablemates'.
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A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Diamond Mountain is the northernmost mountain appellation in the Mayacamas Range, on the northwest side of the valley floor, above the town of Calistoga. Defined mainly by elevation, vineyards are planted at 400 to 2,200 feet.
Diamond Mountain vineyards receive plenty of sunshine at these elevations and are typically above the coastal fog line. But given its western proximity, the area still easily cools down from early morning and late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes. The AVA (American Viticultural Area) covers 5,000 acres but just over 500 acres are under vine.
Diamond Mountain soils, mainly weathered, red sedimentary rock and decomposed, volcanic ash, are infertile, quick-draining and produce small, thick-skinned grapes, bursting with chewy tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Zinfandel have great success here.
Like other sub-appellations in Napa Valley, the Diamond Mountain area had no shortage of pioneer winemakers. Rudy von Strasser led the effort for Diamond Mountain to acquire AVA status in 1999.