Delicious… half bottle at a restaurant. Instantly could smell it in the glass from feet away. Everything you want in a cab with some nice age and complexity. Stewed fruit and tobacco but still fairly light. Didn’t even really need to be decanted.
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Addendum - I had a glass to keep overnight in decanter. Became slightly more structured overnight, tannic, and this slightly less silky, though score remains above 90+!
I had very very high expectations for this wine. I'd only ever heard about it, and when I saw it at auction, with a decent bid price, a vintage wherein I'd be on planet earth to experience it, I took the plunge!
My expectations were more then exceeded. (On the back of the bottle, it's explained that it would be good to compare the terroir of the Gravelly Meadow Diamond Creek. I'm on the lookout for a comparable vintage)
(Wife's away... So hubby cracked something for himself! Apparently, I should do this more often! 🤣)
Popped cork. Let sit for 2 hours. Decanted. Upon opening, thought this slightly oxidized/reduced, but with 2.5 hours of air... Fabulous. Gentle. Elegant.
Medium Deep Garnet, with some remaining ruby. Dark fruits plums cassis Lead pencil mushrooms lake shore clay sweet tobacco cigar box
Dry Acid high Alcohol high Tannin present, but so silky, and becoming more present with exposure, consistently for several hours! Viscosity, mouthfeel was tongue and gums and all palate enveloping! Balanced precision Depth and layers of character
CS 100% 14.1% abv
Porterhouse
Buy this wine. Cases of of it! Take your chequebook!
But, this is drinking incredibly well now. It might get better. How much and within which timeframe, is a guess. With this, and with most, slightly too early is way better then slightly too late!
Great structure, very Bordeaux i.e. elegant, mid weight with good fruit. Wonderful balance of fruit and structure. Drink now and over the next 10 years.
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Drunk alongside an insane line of beautiful Cali wines. This for me just got a little lost. However it’s still gorgeous and so much fruit still left. Lovely balance.
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This is superb, very Bordeaux in profile but with sweeter fruit but really elegant. Good grip of acidity giving a vivacious freshness to the lovely red and black fruit, along with cassis. Intense flavours, medium body. Persistent finish, moderate complexity. Still very young.
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wow, so good... on the larger scale side for me (which often isn't my fav) but this wine carried all its heavy load with class and elegance... felt like it could go another ten years easily, dark red fruit, tiny bit of smoke here and there, good wood spice, balanced acidity with some tannin style showing... beautiful and would be enjoyed by multiple categories of wine drinkers I think
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This is excellent. Maturing nicely, but still on the young side. Big dark fruits of cassis and plum, a bit of damp earth, mint, leather, and spice. Floral notes freshen this nicely. No noticeable oak. The palate has excellent depth and good balance. Doesn’t feel warm at all. Really good and should drink well for another 15 years
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Mid maturity, really in a sweet spot. Tertiary notes of leathery dried currant, cigar box and tea leaves. Likely good for a few years still if this was a representative bottle.
I was a little worried on opening with some indication of seepage but no problems, thankfully. 94-95
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The gem was the absolute star of our tasting menu and the clear winner. With no sediment it looked almost obsidian and had legs for days. It smelled of cherry syrup and on the tongue it exerted an almost perfectly balanced and not overpowering taste of dried fig and cherry. The finish was silky and went on for what seemed like forever.
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SEI Closing Dinner Popped and poured at the end of dinner. Drinking well now. Strong blue and secondary red fruits on the palate. Could have used a longer decant, but was very good nonetheless.
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Red cherry kirsch, pencil lead, baking spices, a bit a rubber, red licorice; slight raisin notes. Quite nice, not bad for this vintage, lots of character.
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Another classic wine from this venerable producer. Medium garnet color. Nose gave off a bit of a sour aroma upon opening but this blew off with time. On the palate this was complex with Bordeaux like notes of earth, tobacco, chocolate and a medium finish. Decanted and let this open for 2 and a half hours before pouring. It continued to open after that time. While I am used to holding Diamond Creek for 20 years and more it is hard to imagine this will get any better with additional age.
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Old & Rare CA Cabs: Black earth, slight tar-licorice, loamy; silky entry, medium body and medium acidity, well-balanced, structured, tertiary notes just beginning with focus on black fruits and rich minerality. Very nice, structured and will get better over the next 5-10 years. 91-92
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super wine, drank at Alta with the Baxter boys (9000 foot altitude), nice rich fruit nose, tannins still well present on the palate but with some nice fruit and plenty of minerals / earth / character... this was the triple threat - nice red fruits plus minerals/complex flavors plus some nice acid... great now and potential to get better over next five years... would be it then plateaus for 5-10 more
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Excellent, wonderful nose, long flavorful palate, did not decant, some soft tannins still evident .....will still be good 4-5 years more in the bottle.
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1st impression - no amber edges, nose is light, bright (masked by the beef bourguignon cooking in the background). Light tannins. No sediment, only a cloud at the shoulder. Decanted 2 hrs. before serving.
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Light pot pouri with a touch of spice; bright cassis, slight dried herbs aspect, bright red plum with touches of strawberry; super sleek, medium body, elegant balance, high acidity, fine tannins and a long finish with a hint of anise. Very classy.
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Tasted along with the Harris Estates Treva's Vineyard. It was fun to taste these side by side as you could really tell the difference between the sites. The Diamond Creek was rich and powerful but not as tannic as I have always heard these wines are. It seemed open for business now. Lots of chocolate and pure black fruit on the nose with a nice mineral note. The palate was rich with black berries. Nice finish.
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Probably the best CA wine I have ever tasted. Stunning layers of fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and gravel. Amazing complexity and knockout nose. Im surprised at some of the tasting notes for this wine. 84 points? really???? I dont know what kind of wine you are drinking, but this kicked the 99 Chateau Margaux's butt (no disrespect) I had a couple months ago. This wine opened beautifully over dinner and was breathtaking. a privilege to consume.
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Decanted for almost 2 hours. Nose was full of blueberry and spicy oak. Well balanced. Coming into its own, with explosive flavors and subtle tannins. This was a big one. Loved everything about it.
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Tasted at The Wine Country in Signal Hill CA sit down tasting in Riedel large generic tasting glasses. Starting to get a bit of tasting fatigue. Medium interesting nose. Very big, deep, focused fruit showing cocoa and tart cherry. Big, burly but not rough tannins. Nicely balanced oak. Very, very long and complex finish. Good balance and structure. Should age well. Top notch CA cab. Should be for $160.
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Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the red tinted soil of Diamond Creek (high in iron content) this wine is aged in new French oak. Mid red in colour, the nose shows plum jam characters. The palate shows cherry and herbaceous characters with just a little hint of spice, lots of oak and well structured tannins. Again, this is good but very expensive!
Tasted in the Grand Tasting at the 10th Decanter Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London.
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Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA): Beautiful nose of black cherry, currant, leather, and a touch of earth. Big complex wine with tannins that need a couple of years to fully integrate. Layers and layers of flavors with a long 40+ second finish.
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5/30/2023 - Cltjkirk wrote: 96 Points
Delicious… half bottle at a restaurant. Instantly could smell it in the glass from feet away. Everything you want in a cab with some nice age and complexity. Stewed fruit and tobacco but still fairly light. Didn’t even really need to be decanted.
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5/26/2023 - Sagan99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Addendum -
I had a glass to keep overnight in decanter.
Became slightly more structured overnight, tannic, and this slightly less silky, though score remains above 90+!
I had very very high expectations for this wine. I'd only ever heard about it, and when I saw it at auction, with a decent bid price, a vintage wherein I'd be on planet earth to experience it, I took the plunge!
My expectations were more then exceeded.
(On the back of the bottle, it's explained that it would be good to compare the terroir of the Gravelly Meadow Diamond Creek. I'm on the lookout for a comparable vintage)
(Wife's away... So hubby cracked something for himself! Apparently, I should do this more often! 🤣)
Popped cork. Let sit for 2 hours.
Decanted.
Upon opening, thought this slightly oxidized/reduced, but with 2.5 hours of air... Fabulous. Gentle. Elegant.
Medium Deep Garnet, with some remaining ruby.
Dark fruits plums cassis
Lead pencil mushrooms lake shore clay sweet tobacco cigar box
Dry
Acid high
Alcohol high
Tannin present, but so silky, and becoming more present with exposure, consistently for several hours!
Viscosity, mouthfeel was tongue and gums and all palate enveloping!
Balanced precision
Depth and layers of character
CS 100%
14.1% abv
Porterhouse
Buy this wine. Cases of of it!
Take your chequebook!
But, this is drinking incredibly well now. It might get better. How much and within which timeframe, is a guess. With this, and with most, slightly too early is way better then slightly too late!
PS- Drink The Rainbow!!
https://diamondcreekvineyards.com/red-rock-terrace/
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5/1/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great structure, very Bordeaux i.e. elegant, mid weight with good fruit.
Wonderful balance of fruit and structure. Drink now and over the next 10 years.
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4/21/2022 - DonDon wrote: 92 Points
Drunk alongside an insane line of beautiful Cali wines. This for me just got a little lost. However it’s still gorgeous and so much fruit still left. Lovely balance.
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12/20/2020 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is superb, very Bordeaux in profile but with sweeter fruit but really elegant. Good grip of acidity giving a vivacious freshness to the lovely red and black fruit, along with cassis. Intense flavours, medium body. Persistent finish, moderate complexity. Still very young.
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10/18/2020 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
wow, so good... on the larger scale side for me (which often isn't my fav) but this wine carried all its heavy load with class and elegance... felt like it could go another ten years easily, dark red fruit, tiny bit of smoke here and there, good wood spice, balanced acidity with some tannin style showing... beautiful and would be enjoyed by multiple categories of wine drinkers I think
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11/9/2019 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is excellent. Maturing nicely, but still on the young side. Big dark fruits of cassis and plum, a bit of damp earth, mint, leather, and spice. Floral notes freshen this nicely. No noticeable oak. The palate has excellent depth and good balance. Doesn’t feel warm at all. Really good and should drink well for another 15 years
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12/7/2018 - Empirate Likes this wine:
Mid maturity, really in a sweet spot. Tertiary notes of leathery dried currant, cigar box and tea leaves. Likely good for a few years still if this was a representative bottle.
I was a little worried on opening with some indication of seepage but no problems, thankfully. 94-95
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1/1/2017 - yerrbo wrote: 96 Points
The gem was the absolute star of our tasting menu and the clear winner. With no sediment it looked almost obsidian and had legs for days. It smelled of cherry syrup and on the tongue it exerted an almost perfectly balanced and not overpowering taste of dried fig and cherry. The finish was silky and went on for what seemed like forever.
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6/1/2016 - Nealefisher wrote: 93 Points
SEI Closing Dinner
Popped and poured at the end of dinner. Drinking well now. Strong blue and secondary red fruits on the palate. Could have used a longer decant, but was very good nonetheless.
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12/29/2015 - Agreen07 Likes this wine: 93 Points
tasting really well right now, decanted 1 hour before drinking.
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6/12/2015 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Red cherry kirsch, pencil lead, baking spices, a bit a rubber, red licorice; slight raisin notes. Quite nice, not bad for this vintage, lots of character.
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6/20/2014 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another classic wine from this venerable producer. Medium garnet color. Nose gave off a bit of a sour aroma upon opening but this blew off with time. On the palate this was complex with Bordeaux like notes of earth, tobacco, chocolate and a medium finish. Decanted and let this open for 2 and a half hours before pouring. It continued to open after that time. While I am used to holding Diamond Creek for 20 years and more it is hard to imagine this will get any better with additional age.
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9/7/2013 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Old & Rare CA Cabs: Black earth, slight tar-licorice, loamy; silky entry, medium body and medium acidity, well-balanced, structured, tertiary notes just beginning with focus on black fruits and rich minerality. Very nice, structured and will get better over the next 5-10 years. 91-92
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7/3/2013 - cwheelie Does not like this wine: 87 Points
thin, dry, austere. When Diamond Creek is on, they are fantastic. When they miss, as with this release, they are really really overpriced.
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2/9/2013 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 93 Points
super wine, drank at Alta with the Baxter boys (9000 foot altitude), nice rich fruit nose, tannins still well present on the palate but with some nice fruit and plenty of minerals / earth / character... this was the triple threat - nice red fruits plus minerals/complex flavors plus some nice acid... great now and potential to get better over next five years... would be it then plateaus for 5-10 more
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1/5/2013 - mijnamfauk Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent, wonderful nose, long flavorful palate, did not decant, some soft tannins still evident .....will still be good 4-5 years more in the bottle.
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11/10/2012 - MJMDLM wrote:
1st impression - no amber edges, nose is light, bright (masked by the beef bourguignon cooking in the background). Light tannins. No sediment, only a cloud at the shoulder. Decanted 2 hrs. before serving.
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8/16/2012 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Light pot pouri with a touch of spice; bright cassis, slight dried herbs aspect, bright red plum with touches of strawberry; super sleek, medium body, elegant balance, high acidity, fine tannins and a long finish with a hint of anise. Very classy.
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6/5/2012 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful and ready to go. Plenty of bottle life left in this one.
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12/14/2011 - fdub wrote: 93 Points
Tasted along with the Harris Estates Treva's Vineyard. It was fun to taste these side by side as you could really tell the difference between the sites. The Diamond Creek was rich and powerful but not as tannic as I have always heard these wines are. It seemed open for business now. Lots of chocolate and pure black fruit on the nose with a nice mineral note. The palate was rich with black berries. Nice finish.
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9/27/2010 - pian0_player wrote: 97 Points
Probably the best CA wine I have ever tasted. Stunning layers of fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and gravel. Amazing complexity and knockout nose. Im surprised at some of the tasting notes for this wine. 84 points? really???? I dont know what kind of wine you are drinking, but this kicked the 99 Chateau Margaux's butt (no disrespect) I had a couple months ago. This wine opened beautifully over dinner and was breathtaking. a privilege to consume.
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12/26/2008 - WetRock wrote: flawed
Cabs Covering 30 Years at Black Sheep Bistro (Black Sheep Bistro Tustin): Corked
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6/6/2008 - buddy22 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for almost 2 hours. Nose was full of blueberry and spicy oak. Well balanced. Coming into its own, with explosive flavors and subtle tannins. This was a big one. Loved everything about it.
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5/11/2007 - Chidainey wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at The Wine Country in Signal Hill CA sit down tasting in Riedel large generic tasting glasses. Starting to get a bit of tasting fatigue. Medium interesting nose. Very big, deep, focused fruit showing cocoa and tart cherry. Big, burly but not rough tannins. Nicely balanced oak. Very, very long and complex finish. Good balance and structure. Should age well. Top notch CA cab. Should be for $160.
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11/19/2006 - jamieirving wrote: 84 Points
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the red tinted soil of Diamond Creek (high in iron content) this wine is aged in new French oak. Mid red in colour, the nose shows plum jam characters. The palate shows cherry and herbaceous characters with just a little hint of spice, lots of oak and well structured tannins. Again, this is good but very expensive!
Tasted in the Grand Tasting at the 10th Decanter Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London.
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10/19/2006 - GolferChris wrote: 93 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tasting (Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, CA): Beautiful nose of black cherry, currant, leather, and a touch of earth. Big complex wine with tannins that need a couple of years to fully integrate. Layers and layers of flavors with a long 40+ second finish.
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