The Vineyardist Lazy Susan Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
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Robert
Parker
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Lazy Susan Ranch is 100% Cabernet sourced from the estate’s younger vines. The wine expresses all of the signatures of the estate’s Diamond Mountain terrior and shows the minerality of its red Aiken iron-rich soils.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Lazy Susan Ranch, also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from clones 33 and 169 and slightly higher yields of 1.5 tons of fruit per acre, is an even smaller cuvée of 145 cases. The wine emerges from a different parcel of red Aiken iron-rich soils, as opposed to the volcanic tufa and fractured bedrock of its sibling. This wine offers loads of cedar wood, cr?me de cassis, licorice and forest floor in a full-bodied, opulent style. The fruit is beautifully pure, the oak well-integrated, and the wine gorgeous. It’s top, top-flight, clearly world-class and should drink well for 20-25 years.
Other Vintages
2012-
Robert
Parker
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.