97 out of 100
by James Suckling
Red
United States of America
Year 2015
14.5% Alcohol
By Diamond Creek Vineyards
97 points Connoisseurs Guide
One of the most consistent producers of collectable Cabernets over the years, Diamond Creek has come up big in 2015 with a brace of truly outstanding wines. At the very top of the list, the Red Rock Terrace bottling is a beautifully composed effort of extraordinary depth and focus. Its incisive, pure cassis qualities merge with perfectly fit elements of loam, stony soils, creamy oak and accents of raspberries, and never once does it trade in flamboyant ripeness. It is, in fact, a wine of remarkable polish and cohesion right down to the fine, seamlessly integrated tannins that afford it the structure to age for two decades if not more, and those fortunate few who manage to hide a few bottles away should not consider drinking even one until another six to ten years have passed.
(8/2018)
97 points James Suckling
This has amazing aromas of red licorice, tar, lead pencil, dark berries and blackberries. Full body, a very soft texture and fine-grained tannins. Lovely freshness and brightness. Sweet and sour underneath. A wine that gives such enjoyment already but it will improve nicely in the bottle.
(5/2018)
K&L Notes
Antonio Galloni writes: "Diamond Creek is one of Napa Valley’s historic estates, as anyone who has been fortunate enough to drink the wines from the 1970s can attest. These are some of the most powerful, unapologetically structured wines being made in Napa Valley today. As such, they require considerable patience. Today’s wines are a little more approachable when young than in the past – the result of picking a little riper than was once the custom – but I think it is safe to say that readers who are unfamiliar with this style might be shocked by the sheer tannic heft in these wines when first released."
Sku: 1831