Diamond Creek California Wine Cabernet Sauvignon

Diamond Creek wines

Diamond Creek Vineyards,  California Cabernet Sauvignon wine producer profile, wine tasting notes, with a history of the property, plus information on their wine making techniques and their soil, along with wine reviews and links.

Al Brounstein created Diamond Creek in 1968 with his purchase of 79 acres in the Diamond Creek canyon. At the time, his concept was way ahead of its time. Brounstein’s desire to create multiple single vineyard wines from Diamond Creek was unique in its day. His stated goal was to display the differences in the terroirs and micro climates found in Volcanic Hill, Gravelly Meadow, Red Rock Terrace and Lake vineyards. Diamond Creek gets another award for being the first California winery to produce wine made from only Cabernet Sauvignon.

The vineyards of Diamond Creek are situated on different soils, but they share some commonalities. Located in the narrow Diamond Creek canyon, the parcels are all close to the same 600 foot elevation and they were planted from budwood from some of the First Growth wines of Bordeaux. Or so the legend goes. The first wines came from the poor 1972 vintage. But even in the bad vintage, Al Brounstein was able to see the differences in each of the wines due to their distinctive soil types.

Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill is an 8 acre vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Petit Verdot on a terroir consisting of volcanic ash that was deposited from Mt. Konocti on a south facing slope.  

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace is a 7 acre vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon on red tinted clay soil with a large amount of iron deposits on a steep grade with a northern exposure.  

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow is a 5 acre parcel planted to Cabernet Sauvignon on a pre-historic river bed, with rocky, gravel based soils. This parcel does not have the same level of elevation as the other parcels.

Diamond Creek Lake Vineyards is the estates smallest site. It takes up only ¾ acre. It is also the coolest of all the Diamond Creek micro climates. Lake Vineyard is not made every year. It’s only produced when the vintage warrants it. When the wine is not made, the grapes are blended in with Gravelly Meadow.

From time to time, a blend of all three vineyards has been bottled. Other special bottlings include Special Selections and First and Second Pickings. In at least 4 vintages, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993, Diamond Creek made a Gravelly Meadow Lake Blend. A few vintages have been produced from each of three main terroirs, Gravelly Hill, Red Rock Terrace and Volcanic Hill that are named Micro Climate on the label. Special labels were produced for Diamond Creek wines for each of the vineyards to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

I’ve been fortunate to have tasted most of the pre 1990 Diamond Creek wines several times. For my palate, these wines are compelling.  In blind tasting’s, the 78 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill can stand up to many of the best First Growth wines from Bordeaux.  At 33 years of age, they are still young, fresh, vibrant and exacting.  Sadly, after 1984, things changed and they were no longer making at the same level of quality.  However, recent vintages have shown a lot more promise. Hopefully, fortunes will continue to change and they will keep increasing the levels of quality found in their unique style of California wine.