spectacular to start, with bright mixed red fruit, great 'iron' sensation, some tobacco...all potent, but light on its feet. The fruit faded a bit over several hours but still tasty. I had not tasted this before, and would not have been able to guess a napa cab--a revelation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle had been well-stored in a wine fridge but compressor had died at some point, and I'm unclear if it was not climate controlled for a matter of days, weeks, months or years. Regardless it survived beautifully. Excellent fill level, soft cork but extracted cleanly, and very little sediment. Great dark red color. Was tasted back-to-back with the Volcanic Hill from the same vintage and this one was more earthy, and that one was more about the fruit. I preferred this one, but both were excellent. And I'm happy to say I have one more bottle of each.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wet earth, tobacco leaves, floral notes and pretty black fruit. You can tell it’s of age but there’s a brightness to it’s fruit with some chalkiness and minerality.
p.s. lamb with mint jelly paired with roasted cauliflower and salad.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Slightly dusty and closed, a little musty in fact, almost a touch of cellar stink over black currant and sweet spice. Plum as well. That cellar stink note translates to the palate as well though it's not so dominant, savoury plums, quite bitter and hard tannins, blackcurrant with time. Hmm. It's drinkable so I'm not marking it as flaw.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The color on this is very youthful. It feels that way on the palate as well, with big, leathery tannin and really fresh acidity. Expansive midpalate, with a great finish and a nice low abv of 12.5%. Everything is in step here, with a lot of tertiary flavors and great complexity. Aromas and flavors of black olive, mushroom, dried blackberry, graphite, red plum, mint, damp earth and decaying flowers. Polished and powerful, yet graceful. Surprising at how young this feels, as Red Rock Terrace is generally the most forward of Diamond Creek’s wines. At peak but should keep for awhile.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Magnum. This took a lot longer decant than expected but it really transformed into a wonderful wine with a few hours time. Great fruit and silky soft. I love DC and was pleasantly surprised by this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Part of a Diamond Creek 1996 Horizontal. PnP. Youthful color like the others. Second of the four tasted. It smelled and tasted similarly to the Volcanic Hill. I kept going back and forth. Blackberry and blueberries on the nose and palate. This bottle lacked the complexity of the '86 I had a few months earlier. Give this wine a few more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I don't have as strong of a memory of this as the other ones for some reason. It was definitely better than the Gravelly Meadow. Another one with the red fruits. Perhaps not quite as vibrant as the Volcanic Hill in this case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clean cork. Decanted on opening with minimal sediment. Deep ruby color in the glass with a fading rim. Light aromas of fig, red cherry, leather, and bramble. The palate brings sour cherry, cassis, fig and menthol. Acidity is still medium-high, and tannins are well integrated on the medium-plus length finish. Showed minimal evolution over 3 hours in the decanter. This was surprisingly youthful in character for its age. I had the impression it can continue to do well and possibly improve over the next few years, although the tannins will likely begin to fade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lunch au Quartier Général: J'ai bien fait d'ignorer les critiques tièdes de ce vin avant de l'acheter en Floride. Car comme tous les vieux vins du domaine que j'ai goûtés issus de cette décennie ou de la précédente, les critiques n'ont pas trop aimé en jeunesse, alors que les vins se montrent très impressionnants avec quelques décennies au compteur.
Celle-ci a affronté 4 heures d'ouverture, dont une heure trente de carafe, sans aucun problème. Au contraire, le traitement l'a grandement aidé.
Le nez est épicé, mûr, il évoque clairement le cabernet voire un vieux Bordeaux. La bouche est ronde, pleine et équilibrée, d'une belle profondeur, c'est savoureux, avec une belle richesse, sans excès. Un vin délicieux et abouti, parfait avec la viande. Comme j'anticipais, les gars étaient tous à Bordeaux! 92 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
When first opened and decanted (I thought there might be sediment but there was only a touch), I thought perhaps it was over the hill; by the end of the night - I thought 'Nope, it's just getting going now'. It's quiet, not in your face; and really nice. Fruit was muted at first but later it was brighter and there was quite a bit of cherry, along with the earthy flavors of the woods on a damp spring day. Ready to drink now or hold a little longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is still a great tasting wine. I thought it was getting over the hill so I opened it on Christmas Eve. It was wonderful. It's no more over the hill than I.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bright heady notes with cinnamon, licorice, lovely floral flavors (not so much on the nose as on the palate) pine, sappy; excellent tannic structure still, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
15 years into it and it still is standing. Not the style that the world is becoming accustomed to, but still tasty at this point. To another reviewer, the fruit is not coming back. It could last another 10 years if you like the earthy tone’s to your wine. I find a lot of Pine, dried fruits, the tannins have aged off but still very dry. If you have them, I am thinking pork tenderloin or it works well as a night cap.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Cabs (32 East Delray Beach): Tasted Blind (Red Bag #1): This looked and tasted older than the first flight. It tasted tired and lacked character. Not a lot of fruit and the tannins were overpowering. Some guessed Diamond Creek and they were right. It wasn't me. I had no clue accept I didn't like it. After the reveal, a few thought that the wine needed another decade and all I could think of was if the fruit ain't here now, how could it show up in ten years? Clearly a bias to seeing the label. Blind is beautiful in these circumstances.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10-15 years old Bordeaux blends from around the world (My place): Dark red color with a brick red hue. Nice nose with juicy blackcurrant fruit, deep and ripe. On the palate is has similar juicy blackcurrant, a bit jammy, but still balanced. More prunes, liqueuer, herbs and tobacco on the midpalate and finish. The sweetness and acidity is in good balance from start through midpalate to finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose still has some umph to it. Needs about two hours of air. If you have it drink it NOW! Not over the hill yet, however should be consumed by '09. Good mountian fruit comes through. Tasted with blue cheese & hard pressed Swiss but really needs a great red meat meal. Far better than expected (based on other reviews).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
james laube Challenge re 1996 Napa Cabs @ DUO, Miami (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 3, #2 vs Lewis Reserve and Volcanic Hill. There was nothing there. Worst wine of the evening. The Volcanic Hill was quite good and credible, this wine wasn't corked but ihad no bouquet, fruit, palate feel or finish. I have the 97 Red Rock Terrace which for me has been quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Powerful and complex nose with layers of leather, gravel, and black pepper notes. Initial onslaught of herbs and licorice give way to plum and black cherry fruit followed by long, dry, smooth tannins. The WS review is right on track here and this wine shows that Diamond Creek is not always as austere as some of our previous examples have shown it to be. Could easily hold longer but delicious now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
6/18/2023 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 94 Points
spectacular to start, with bright mixed red fruit, great 'iron' sensation, some tobacco...all potent, but light on its feet. The fruit faded a bit over several hours but still tasty. I had not tasted this before, and would not have been able to guess a napa cab--a revelation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2022 - vinopunk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle had been well-stored in a wine fridge but compressor had died at some point, and I'm unclear if it was not climate controlled for a matter of days, weeks, months or years. Regardless it survived beautifully. Excellent fill level, soft cork but extracted cleanly, and very little sediment. Great dark red color. Was tasted back-to-back with the Volcanic Hill from the same vintage and this one was more earthy, and that one was more about the fruit. I preferred this one, but both were excellent. And I'm happy to say I have one more bottle of each.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2022 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wet earth, tobacco leaves, floral notes and pretty black fruit. You can tell it’s of age but there’s a brightness to it’s fruit with some chalkiness and minerality.
p.s. lamb with mint jelly paired with roasted cauliflower and salad.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2020 - chatters wrote:
Napa Tasting (Bistro Cocotte, Haberfield): Slightly dusty and closed, a little musty in fact, almost a touch of cellar stink over black currant and sweet spice. Plum as well. That cellar stink note translates to the palate as well though it's not so dominant, savoury plums, quite bitter and hard tannins, blackcurrant with time. Hmm. It's drinkable so I'm not marking it as flaw.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/10/2020 - rjmp96 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The color on this is very youthful. It feels that way on the palate as well, with big, leathery tannin and really fresh acidity. Expansive midpalate, with a great finish and a nice low abv of 12.5%. Everything is in step here, with a lot of tertiary flavors and great complexity. Aromas and flavors of black olive, mushroom, dried blackberry, graphite, red plum, mint, damp earth and decaying flowers. Polished and powerful, yet graceful. Surprising at how young this feels, as Red Rock Terrace is generally the most forward of Diamond Creek’s wines. At peak but should keep for awhile.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2020 - BROpus One Likes this wine: 94 Points
Magnum. This took a lot longer decant than expected but it really transformed into a wonderful wine with a few hours time. Great fruit and silky soft. I love DC and was pleasantly surprised by this bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2019 - DoubleD1969 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Part of a Diamond Creek 1996 Horizontal. PnP. Youthful color like the others. Second of the four tasted. It smelled and tasted similarly to the Volcanic Hill. I kept going back and forth. Blackberry and blueberries on the nose and palate. This bottle lacked the complexity of the '86 I had a few months earlier. Give this wine a few more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
I don't have as strong of a memory of this as the other ones for some reason. It was definitely better than the Gravelly Meadow. Another one with the red fruits. Perhaps not quite as vibrant as the Volcanic Hill in this case.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2018 - yaki wrote: 92 Points
Clean cork. Decanted on opening with minimal sediment. Deep ruby color in the glass with a fading rim. Light aromas of fig, red cherry, leather, and bramble. The palate brings sour cherry, cassis, fig and menthol. Acidity is still medium-high, and tannins are well integrated on the medium-plus length finish. Showed minimal evolution over 3 hours in the decanter. This was surprisingly youthful in character for its age. I had the impression it can continue to do well and possibly improve over the next few years, although the tannins will likely begin to fade.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2018 - jsmadsen wrote: flawed
Corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2016 - Richkniles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Among our favorites very French like
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Lunch au Quartier Général: J'ai bien fait d'ignorer les critiques tièdes de ce vin avant de l'acheter en Floride. Car comme tous les vieux vins du domaine que j'ai goûtés issus de cette décennie ou de la précédente, les critiques n'ont pas trop aimé en jeunesse, alors que les vins se montrent très impressionnants avec quelques décennies au compteur.
Celle-ci a affronté 4 heures d'ouverture, dont une heure trente de carafe, sans aucun problème. Au contraire, le traitement l'a grandement aidé.
Le nez est épicé, mûr, il évoque clairement le cabernet voire un vieux Bordeaux. La bouche est ronde, pleine et équilibrée, d'une belle profondeur, c'est savoureux, avec une belle richesse, sans excès. Un vin délicieux et abouti, parfait avec la viande. Comme j'anticipais, les gars étaient tous à Bordeaux! 92 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2015 - cookiefiend wrote: 88 Points
When first opened and decanted (I thought there might be sediment but there was only a touch), I thought perhaps it was over the hill; by the end of the night - I thought 'Nope, it's just getting going now'. It's quiet, not in your face; and really nice. Fruit was muted at first but later it was brighter and there was quite a bit of cherry, along with the earthy flavors of the woods on a damp spring day. Ready to drink now or hold a little longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2014 - Leoville_2012 Likes this wine: 90 Points
hold for another 5 yrs
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2013 - ForrestMcD Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is still a great tasting wine. I thought it was getting over the hill so I opened it on Christmas Eve. It was wonderful. It's no more over the hill than I.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 93 Points
Just lovely wine. A bit floral up front but gives way to some dark cherries and currants
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2012 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Bright heady notes with cinnamon, licorice, lovely floral flavors (not so much on the nose as on the palate) pine, sappy; excellent tannic structure still, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2012 - bssbsitm wrote: 89 Points
15 years into it and it still is standing. Not the style that the world is becoming accustomed to, but still tasty at this point. To another reviewer, the fruit is not coming back. It could last another 10 years if you like the earthy tone’s to your wine. I find a lot of Pine, dried fruits, the tannins have aged off but still very dry. If you have them, I am thinking pork tenderloin or it works well as a night cap.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 83 Points
Blind Cabs (32 East Delray Beach): Tasted Blind (Red Bag #1): This looked and tasted older than the first flight. It tasted tired and lacked character. Not a lot of fruit and the tannins were overpowering. Some guessed Diamond Creek and they were right. It wasn't me. I had no clue accept I didn't like it. After the reveal, a few thought that the wine needed another decade and all I could think of was if the fruit ain't here now, how could it show up in ten years? Clearly a bias to seeing the label. Blind is beautiful in these circumstances.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2010 - cassel wrote: 85 Points
Last bottle. Over the hill
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2009 - Terkel wrote: 90 Points
10-15 years old Bordeaux blends from around the world (My place): Dark red color with a brick red hue. Nice nose with juicy blackcurrant fruit, deep and ripe. On the palate is has similar juicy blackcurrant, a bit jammy, but still balanced. More prunes, liqueuer, herbs and tobacco on the midpalate and finish. The sweetness and acidity is in good balance from start through midpalate to finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2008 - ptmantb wrote:
Maybe a bit over the hill but still quite good. Still has fruit ant great balance it has just lost some umph.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2007 - thewinoandiknow wrote: 87 Points
Nose still has some umph to it. Needs about two hours of air. If you have it drink it NOW! Not over the hill yet, however should be consumed by '09. Good mountian fruit comes through. Tasted with blue cheese & hard pressed Swiss but really needs a great red meat meal. Far better than expected (based on other reviews).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2007 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 79 Points
james laube Challenge re 1996 Napa Cabs @ DUO, Miami (DUO, S Miami Avenue, Miami, FL): Flight 3, #2 vs Lewis Reserve and Volcanic Hill. There was nothing there. Worst wine of the evening. The Volcanic Hill was quite good and credible, this wine wasn't corked but ihad no bouquet, fruit, palate feel or finish. I have the 97 Red Rock Terrace which for me has been quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2006 - VAGenius Likes this wine:
Powerful and complex nose with layers of leather, gravel, and black pepper notes. Initial onslaught of herbs and licorice give way to plum and black cherry fruit followed by long, dry, smooth tannins. The WS review is right on track here and this wine shows that Diamond Creek is not always as austere as some of our previous examples have shown it to be. Could easily hold longer but delicious now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment