ON THE NOSE:
Not too strong of a nose – rather muted, actually – but with distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon qualities: some dark cherry, hint of leather, licorice, and some sweet vanilla. There is a touch of fake sweetness here too, though. like fake strawberry candy, almost cloying, which really makes us uneasy as we explore this $50 Californian.
ON THE PALATE:
Medium bodied with light tannins, only a moderate grip, and a swelled acidity. Obvious oak and dark cherry components, nice black licorice (or anise), and metal. The acidity screams into the mid-palate, but the tannins never really reach into the gums. A good wine, but not particularly balanced, even after five hours. The fakeness that was present on the nose is evident on the palate as well, and this does nothing to add to the enjoyment, and now that Darcey has pointed it out I find that I am not liking this particular effort, ESPECIALLY not at this price-point.
Ultimately this is an OK bottle of Cab, but $50 should buy one something better than OK. I can get OK at $20 with no problem, and can certainly get great at $20. This offering is not bold at all, but rather reserved in its approach. Even after many hours the acidity is out of balance, at least to us. It is a smooth wine but we would never go so far as to call it polished. At this price this is most certainly a major pass. What would $50 buy that is really WORTH $50: Bodegas Victoria Longus! It puts this stuff to definite shame!
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating: 86
Would we drink it again? 
Well, sure! This had enough going for it to warrant another taste.
Would we buy it again? 
Never, even at half the price this wine is not worth buying again.
Winemaker's notes
The 2004 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of select distinctive vineyards, all within the Diamond Mountain District AVA. The lots are specifically chosenfor their unique combination of concentration, bright fruit aromas and elegance. This wine is loaded with cassis, berries and violets on the nose and sweet, supple tannins on the palate. Softer and more elegant in style than the vineyard designated wines, this impressive Cabernet will excite the palate today or age gracefully for 10+years.
The history of the property reads like a who’s who of early California Cabernet History. After being denied a permit to turn his estate into a golf course, William Bounsall decided to subdivide his property, and in 1968 sold 1/3 of his property to Albert Brounstein. Canadian born, Al pioneered the modern decade of winemaking in this AVA by planting Cabernet Sauvignon in three distinct vineyard sites and bottling each separately under the name Diamond Creek Vineyards. The next year, 1969, Bounsall himself decided to get into the grape business and planted 2 acres to Cabernet Sauvignon with bud-wood from the famous Martha’s Vineyard. In 1978, Bill Roddis bought the Bounsall ranch and started Roddis Cellars. The wines were made by Andre Tcheistcheff, and in their days where considered by many to be the biggest wines made in the Napa Valley. In 1985, the winery was sold to the Gilby family (British gin), who used it as a corporate retreat. The vineyards, now totaling about 7 acres, were leased to Pine Ridge Winery, who bottled the grapes separately as their “Diamond Mountain” Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1990, Rudy and Rita von Strasser bought the property and began the fulfilling task of renovating and modernizing the estate and the vineyards to make the property one of the gems of Diamond Mountain.
About the Napa Valley Diamond Mountain Region
During the early decades of winemaking in the Napa Valley, grapes were often planted in patchwork pattern vineyards in which many varieties were mixed. But experience has since shown the wisdom of matching grapes with locations whose microclimates and soils are best suited to particular grape varieties.
Within the Napa Valley, regions have emerged that possess distinct microclimates and terrains, imprinting recognizable characteristics on the grapes grown within them. Vintners and growers within these regions delineate the boundaries of these growing areas, giving them names that reflect their regional designations, or appellations.
Data supporting a proposed American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is submitted to the government, which decides whether the proposed appellation designation will be granted.
The Napa Valley is itself an appellation. Within the Napa Valley appellation exists a number of other appellations, or AVAs, including Diamond Mountain.
Diamond Mountain District AVA
Climate: Moderately warm temperatures with lower maximum temperatures and higher minimum temperatures than north Napa Valley floor, due to topography and altitude. Significantly cooler than valley floor near Calistoga, 50 to 95°F in growing season (10 to 32°C).
Elevation: 400 to 1800 ft. (130 to 530 m)
Rainfall: 40 to 55 inches (135cm) annually
Soils: Residual uplifted soils of volcanic origin, often reddish and very fine-grained, even gritty in texture, composed of both weathered sedimentary and volcanic origin.
Principal varieties & characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc: firmly structured, rich and fairly tannic when young, with strong blackcurrant, mineral, and cedary flavors. Less supple and fleshy than valley or benchland wines, with good aging potential. Chardonnay: Full-bodied, yet revealing mineral, green apple-peach aromas with fairly firm acidity; less richly textured than valley floor wines.
