1997 | Diamond Creek Vineyards | Volcanic Hill (Magnum)

Volcanic Hill is a full-bodied Cabernet with ripe berry fruit, smoky richness, scented earth and elegant tannins that make the wine alluring in youth but eminently age-worthy.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Tasted at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter in London. This has a powerful, concentrated nose of blackberry, plum and raspberry. Layers of black toasty fruit on the palate tinged with mint, adorned with wonderful purity and class on the finish. A fantastic Napa wine.

• James Suckling: A splash of juicy dark fruit is still evident, making for a lively, notably fresh-tasting wine that's mature and drying around the edges. Ends with sage, dusty oak and anise notes.

Producer Information

The winery was founded by Al and "Boots" Brounstein. Al, the former owner of a successful pharmaceutical business in Los Angeles, got into wine when taking a class at UCLA on French wine appreciation. After working a few harvests at Ridge Vineyards, he decided that he wanted to have his own property. He visited a then unplanted property on Diamond Mountain. After consulting with the famed Andre Tchelistcheff and Louis Martini, he purchased it and planted it all to Cabernet Sauvignon. After Al passed away in 2006, Boots ran the winery with her son Phil Ross until her death in 2019. The following year the business was acquired by the Rouzaud family of Maison Louis Roederer, who had known the Brounstein family since the 1990s. Diamond Creek Vineyards lies at about 800ft (245m) of elevation. Warm valley air rises along Diamond Creek from the northeast. These are balanced by cool ocean breezes from the west. There are three distinct soil types in its three main vineyards. These are largely separated by small lakes, Diamond Creek itself, and tree blocks. However all have a section which looks onto a pond in the center of the property. Red Rock Terrace (7 acres/2.8 hectares) sits on a steep hillside with iron-rich soils, facing northwest and overlooked by the winery. It is in a warmer part of the property and produces Cabernet Sauvignon that is more approachable in its youth than other Diamond Creek offerings. Gravelly Meadow (5 acres/2ha) is located on an old riverbed, and has shallow, alluvial soils with exceptional drainage. Low-yielding vines produce concentrated, tannic fruit. Volcanic Hill is the largest site at 8 acres (3.2ha), named for its grey-volcanic soils and its hilltop location. It is considered to produce the most ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon. In certain years, Diamond Creek also produces a Lake Vineyard Cabernet from the three-quarter-acre (0.3ha) plot of that name to the west of Gravelly Meadow across another small lake. However, this is the property's coolest macrooclimate, and in most years the fruit does not get ripe enough to meet the strict standards here.

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