Constant Diamond Mountain Vineyard Claret 2009
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
It's hard to imagine a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine richer or more decadently appealing than this. It dazzles with blackberry jam, black cherry pie, milk chocolate and anise flavors that are framed in soft, smooth, dynamic tannins. It defines the modern cult style.
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Wine Spectator
Tight and easy to drink, with firm, fine-grained tannins and snappy red and black berry fruit, all shaded by spice and fresh earth notes. The best constant in some time, showing that the vineyard can produce excellent wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Drink now through 2022. 317 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Red Blend Estate Claret is a pretty, mid-weight wine, but it can’t match the sumptuous 2010. Sweet, red berries, flowers, licorice and tobacco are some of the notes that take shape in this relative easygoing, mid-weight wine. Next to the 2010, the 2009 tends towards a redder expression of fruit, with more overt floral tones and a generally feminine expression of fruit. The blend is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc and 12% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Diamond Mountain is the northernmost mountain appellation in the Mayacamas Range, on the northwest side of the valley floor, above the town of Calistoga. Defined mainly by elevation, vineyards are planted at 400 to 2,200 feet.
Diamond Mountain vineyards receive plenty of sunshine at these elevations and are typically above the coastal fog line. But given its western proximity, the area still easily cools down from early morning and late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes. The AVA (American Viticultural Area) covers 5,000 acres but just over 500 acres are under vine.
Diamond Mountain soils, mainly weathered, red sedimentary rock and decomposed, volcanic ash, are infertile, quick-draining and produce small, thick-skinned grapes, bursting with chewy tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Zinfandel have great success here.
Like other sub-appellations in Napa Valley, the Diamond Mountain area had no shortage of pioneer winemakers. Rudy von Strasser led the effort for Diamond Mountain to acquire AVA status in 1999.