| Region of production: | Diamond Mountain District AVA, Napa Valley |
| Winery Location: | Calistoga |
| Year Established: | 1968 |
Vineyard Holdings
9 ha
- Volcanic Hill: 3 ha
- Red Rock Terrace: 3 ha
- Gravelly Meadow: 1 ha
- Lake Vineyard: 0.3 ha
- Petite Verdot Vineyard: 0.4 ha
Top Wines Produced
- Gravelly Meadow
- Red Rock Terrace
- Volcanic Hill
- Lake (1978, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016)
Average Total Production
- 36,000 bottles
Summary
The late Al Brounstein founded Diamond Creek Vineyards on a Diamond Mountain site long considered too cool to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. Brounstein nevertheless planted Cabernet, using „suitcase“ Bordeaux clones rumored to have originated at Château Haut-Brion, and the winery claims to be the first Napa Valley estate to exclusively produce Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery released its first vintage in 1972, offering three single vineyard Cabernet wines: Volcanic Hill, Gravelly Meadow, and Red Rock Terrace. Harvests from a fourth vineyard, Lake, are usually blended into the Gravelly Meadow bottling, but in 1978 the winery bottled it separately, and Diamond Creek continues to produce Lake Vineyard Cabernet in exceptional vintages. The winery’s newest vineyard is named for its fruit–Petit Verdot–and a small percentage of PV grapes has been added to the three main bottlings since 1999. A few Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines are planted in each vineyard, amidst Cabernet Sauvignon vines in a „field blend“ style. Diamond Creek’s vines, planted on St. George rootstock, survived Napa’s 1980s‘ bout with phylloxera and are now nearly half a century old.
Diamond Creek was the first Napa Valley winery to crack the $100/bottle mark at retail, in 1987. Today, „Boots“ Brounstein (Al’s wife) and son Phil Ross manage the winery, and Phil Steinschriber has been making the wines since 1991. Diamond Creek’s Cabernets are highly regarded, and typically bold, tannic, and age-worthy.
Style & Vinification Techniques
All wines are aged in 100% new Nevers French oak barrels for up to 22 months. The winery moved to 100% new oak for the 2000 vintage; previously wines were aged in 50% new wood.
Producer Website: Diamond Creek Vineyards