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Diamond Creek

Looking for a new direction of life? Then why not follow the example of Al Brounstein who, having made his fortune with his wholesale pharmaceutical business, decided to up sticks and plant a vineyard on Diamond Mountain in the Napa Valley? To keep as close to Al's story as possible, plant only vines propagated in your private nursery from smuggled cuttings, which you flew in from famed properties in Bordeaux, and don't equip yourself with any real knowledge of oenology before you start.

Al Brounstein of Diamond Creek It sounds crazy, but this is how Canadian millionaire Al Brounstein founded Diamond Creek Vineyards. He purchased the hillside plot at a knockdown price in an era that predated the development of California's cult Cabernets, back in 1967. Having cleared the scrub in 1968 he revealed a geologically diverse site, with volcanic soils lying alongside areas more gravelly, rocky and rich in iron. The vineyards were planted exclusively with Cabernet Sauvignon, the first vintage being 1972, made with the help of winemaker Jerry Luper, who stayed with Diamond Creek for twenty years. He was replaced by Phil Steinschriber who works with Brounstein to this day. The waters at Diamond Creek are obviously good, as the entrepreneurial Brounstein was well into his ninth decade when he passed away in 2006, leaving the running of Diamond Creek to his wife Boots, Steinschriber, consultants Dick Petersen and Al's own daughter, Heidi.

Together the team look after some very well tended vineyards, which Steinschriber has either vertically trellised, or sometimes on a Geneva Double Curtain, rather than the two wire system that was in place on his arrival. Harvest is manual, and there are an incredible number of tries, a necessity caused by variable ripening of fruit in the numerous different mesoclimates of Diamond Creek. The harvest may extend into November, the fruit finally brought into the winery for temperature-controlled fermentation in small tanks, with the current philosophy being to achieve the correct extraction of tannins for longevity without them completely dominating the palate.

Diamond Creek Winery There are four main vineyards at Diamond Creek, including the Lake Vineyard, and a small plot of Petit Verdot. Of the main vineyards, Volcanic Hill is the largest at just over 3 ha. Named for its pale grey volcanic soils which were deposited here by Mount Konocti millions of years before Al arrived, this is a warm, south-facing site which produces the most long lived of Diamond Creek's wines, and which may also include a little Petit Verdot, grown on a riverside plot on Diamond Creek, in the blend. Close by is Red Rock Terrace, also a warm site, despite being a little under 3 ha of north-facing vineyard. It was named for its red hued soils, the colour derived from its high iron content. The wines of Red Rock Terrace are reputed to be the more early drinking of the Diamond Creek portfolio, although in my experience all of these wines have a firm tannic structure that, like old-fashioned claret, positively demands time in the cellar. This is remarkable considering how the Diamond Creek style has changed over the years, apparently shifting towards more open, accessible wines! The third vineyard, Gravelly Meadow, is a cooler site peppered with the stones and pebbles which indicate that in prehistory this was a river bed, although now it is best known for Diamond Creek's most elegant, finely structured wines.

The Lake Vineyard, the fourth and smallest plot, is a lakeside vineyard of about 0.3 ha. It has a cool mesoclimate, and as such the wine of Lake Vineyard is bottled infrequently; at present only eight vintages have seen a Lake Vineyard wine produced. Naturally this has an effect on price, which is two or three times higher than the other Diamond Creek wines. And they're already pricy; expect to pay a three figure sum per bottle, whether you're working in dollars, euros or sterling. That is unless, of course, you prefer to buy your Diamond Terrace at the Napa Valley Wine Auction where, in 2003, a vertical covering vintages from 1978 through to 1994 sold for a cool $90 000 - that's $10 000 per bottle. And that's not as as much as ten bottles of the Lake Vineyard fetched in 2002; $300 000. These aren't prices you see on wine-searcher.com every day. (22/9/05, last updated 11/1/08)

Contact details:
Address: 1500 Diamond Mountain Road, Calistoga, CA 94515
Telephone: +1 707 942 6926
Fax: +1 707 942 6936
Internet: www.diamondcreekvineyards.com

Diamond Creek - Tasting Notes

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2002

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2002: This has a vibrant, youthful colour. One the nose the wine also shows its youth, demonstrating little other than classic, primary Cabernet fruit. What the palate offers, however, is structure, structure and more structure. This is a huge wine, stuffed with tannin, although with a plentiful layer of fruit, quite sufficient to compensate. Great potential here, but this needs a decade or more to show its true potential. 16.5+/20 (November 2005)

Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2002: This has a deep colour also, although with a more glossy, showy appearance. On the nose this wine is a little more reticent than the Red Rock Terrace, being quite closed down at present. The palate is dominated by ripe but firm tannins which lend a very backward feel. This is a full, structured wine that again is full of potential for the cellar. Very good indeed. 17+/20 (November 2005)

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2002: There is a different character here, a fine, mineral-edged fruit on the nose of this glossy cuvée. Again, very backward and overtly structured wine, showing piles of tannin and grip. Muscular, wiry, sinewy, but overall a big, grippy style that demands a decade in the cellar. Very good indeed, with excellent potential. 17+/20 (November 2005)

2001

Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2001: A bright, youthful colour. There is an impression of elegance on the nose, with a smoky liquorice character, and a caramel, oak-derived nuance also. Soft, rounded palate, quite simple and primary at present. But there is a massive fist of tannins building through the midpalate, with cigarbox berry fruit. Somewhat lean, but with correct acidity. Dry, very backward. Has enormous potential for the cellar, but needs 8-10 years at least. 17+/20 (November 2004)

Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2001: A deeper colour, and a more impressive nose too; brooding, with darker fruit. Full palate, the tannins here also massive but not quite so pervasive. The fruit, although dark and intense, shows some complexity at the edges. Depth, texture and extract in abundance. This is another with great potential. Needs 8-10 years. 18+/20 (November 2004)

Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) 2001: Deeply coloured, with a pure black fruit nose, trimmed with exotic, oak-derived cashew nut aromas. Again, a massive core of tannins running through the wine. Great acidity and a very good presence of dark fruit. Will improve, and like its stable-mates this needs a decade of patience. Wonderful potential. 17.5+/20 (November 2004)