2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill has a saturated ruby/purple color that’s generally as dense and dark as the Red Rock Terrace. Deep crème de cassis, crushed rock, spring flower and blueberry notes are all present. This full-bodied wine is deep, backward, and probably just as young and youthful for a ten-year-old as the Red Rock Terrace. With plenty of tannin, beautiful fruit and great purity, this should turn into something special as well, but it needs another five or more years of bottle age. It’s hard to pick a favorite between this and the Red Rock Terrace, but if you’re looking for earlier drinkability, Gravelly Meadow wins hands-down. This is another 20- to 25-year wine, and that’s from 2015, not from 2005.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill has a saturated ruby/purple color that’s generally as dense and dark as the Red Rock Terrace. Deep crème de cassis, crushed rock, spring flower and blueberry notes are all present. This full-bodied wine is deep, backward, and probably just as young and youthful for a ten-year-old as the Red Rock Terrace. With plenty of tannin, beautiful fruit and great purity, this should turn into something special as well, but it needs another five or more years of bottle age. It’s hard to pick a favorite between this and the Red Rock Terrace, but if you’re looking for earlier drinkability, Gravelly Meadow wins hands-down. This is another 20- to 25-year wine, and that’s from 2015, not from 2005. |||Diamond Creek Vineyards is certainly one of the historic names of Napa Valley and an iconic brand. They were pioneers in creating three single-vineyard wines based on specific terroirs – high on Diamond Mountain with the gravel soils producing the Gravelly Meadow, the volcanic soils of the Red Rock Terrace, and of course, the iron-rich, white Tufa volcanic soils producing the Volcanic Hill. Interestingly enough, Volcanic Hill is the biggest parcel at eight acres, with Red Rock Terrace at seven acres, and Gravelly Meadow only five acres. I believe they were all initially 100% Cabernet Sauvignons, but in 2005 the blends are identical, all consisting of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Moreover, they are all aged in 100% new French oak. Alcohol levels came in consistently at 14.5%, as did the final pH numbers at 3.72. Such numbers are similar to a ripe Bordeaux vintage such as 2009 or 2010, or for that matter 2005. This gives the consumer a good chance to follow three specific terroir-based, single-vineyard wines over the course of evolution and see how they age. Obviously, I was excited to look at them, even though they remain young wines at age ten. I should also note that for my taste, the 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1978 from Diamond Creek are among the most extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines, not only from Napa, but possibly the world. They will forever be embedded in my mind as true legendary efforts.|Diamond Creek Vineyards, Tel. (707) 942-6926 eRobertParker.com.June, 2015