Diamond Creek Wine at Flickinger Wines

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Wine

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USA Red

Diamond Creek

2004

Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon

Signs of Old Seepage

$199

WS 83 (10/2007): Chewy and concentrated, with earthy tannins that are dry and astringent, showing little fruit character at this point. This typically needs time to come around, so best to cellar. Best from 2012 through 2020. 290 cases made.

2005

Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon

Slightly Raised Cork; Lightly Bin-Soiled Label

$229

WS 81 (10/2008): Lean and drying, with herb, sage, loamy berry and tealike flavors and tannins give it a tired feel. Drink now through 2012. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 366 cases made.

2015

Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon

$200

VM 94 (12/2018): The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow is super-expressive in the glass, especially in its aromatics. Cedar, tobacco, lavender, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and a host of dark stone fruits emerge with time in the glass, but only with some reluctance. The 2015 is going to need a few years to fully open up, but it, too, is shaping up to be relatively accessible by Diamond Creek standards. In this tasting, the Gravelly Meadow is the least open of the 2015s. Antonio Galloni.

2015

Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon

$225

VM 94 (12/2018): Diamond Creek's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace is dark, plush and inviting, almost shockingly so for a young Diamond Creek Cabernet. In 2015, the Red Rock leans towards the darker end of the spectrum, but it is the wine's juiciness and overall approachability that leave the strongest impression. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, new oak and spice all build in this showy, voluptuous Cabernet from Diamond Creek. Antonio Galloni.

2017

Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon

$225

JD 96 (1/2021): Starting with the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace, this blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc spent 22 months in new barrels. Its dense purple color is followed by a captivating bouquet of blueberries, cassis, camphor, cedarwood, and dried tobacco leaves. Beautifully textured and medium to full-bodied, with present yet ripe tannins and just about flawless balance, this gorgeous Diamond Mountain Cabernet offers pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should evolve for two decades or so. It's a 2017 well worth seeking out. (Drink between 2025-2046).

WA 95+ (9/2020): The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc and was aged for 22 months in French oak, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose opens with profound notions of blueberry preserves, Black Forest cake and black olives with hints of camphor, pencil shavings and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich, ripe and concentrated, it has a solid structure of grainy tannins and a lively line of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

VM 93 (1/2021): The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace is soft, open-knit and inviting, especially for a Diamond Creek wine. Inky red/purplish fruit, iron, cedar, tobacco, licorice, sweet French oak and dried herbs add pretty layers of nuance. The French oak (100% new) seems a bit much. It will be interesting to see how the 2017 develops in the coming years. (Drink between 2024-2037). Antonio Galloni.

1990

Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Slightly Depressed Cork

$289

WS 90 (2/2001): Dark, rich and concentrated, yielding a complex array of currant, black cherry, olive, cedar and spice, finishing with supple but firm tannins.--California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2009. 981 cases made.

WA 82 (6/1992): I expected the 1990 and 1991 Cabernets from Diamond Creek to perform better. While they are certainly good, they are much lighter than what one has come to expect from this winery. On several occasions recently I have had the 1978s from Diamond Creek, which are among the greatest Cabernet-based wines I have tasted from anywhere in the world. It is hard to believe these current offerings will ever approach the richness and intensity that this estate's wines exhibited from the seventies to the mid-eighties. Could the wines be going through a temporarily awkward stage, or are they being made in a lighter, more easily accessible style? The 1990 Volcanic Hill is much lighter than the 1991, with an oaky, spicy nose, simple, straightforward, medium-bodied flavors, and a surprisingly short finish. I would opt for drinking it over the next 7-8 years.

1990

Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin-Soiled Label

$289

1992

Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Signs of Old Seepage; Nicked Label; Bin-Soiled Label

$209

WS 85 (5/2003): Despite its dark color, this comes across as a bit one-dimensional, with candied cherry, dry herb and earthy-anise flavors that are appealing if lacking in focus and complexity.--'92 California Cabernet retrospective. Drink now through 2006. 1,400 cases made.

2015

Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

$219

VM 92 (12/2018): The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill is the most savory and mineral-driven of these three Cabernets from Diamond Creek. Graphite, gravel, crème de cassis, lavender, menthol and plum are all finely sketched. The Volcanic Hill shows a good deal of the nuance that makes wines from this part of the estate so compelling, but in a far more approachable style than I can recall encountering previously. I would prefer to give the 2015 a few years to develop a bit of aromatic complexity, but opening a bottle on the young side is hardly a crime. Antonio Galloni.