Winemaker Notes
This wine holds perfumed aromas of dark red cherry, dried strawberry, raspberry and rose petal combined with violet, black tea and coffee. Dense concentrated fruit flavors of black currant, black cherry and mint mingle effortlessly with dark chocolate and are seamlessly brought together with a well-structured, rich mid-palate.
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Named for the late matriarch of the property, this is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot, all of it grown on hillside estate vineyards. It dances around cherry, cassis and rose petal, the core of the wine soft in integrated tannins and oak. Balanced in weight, it is undeniably lovely, complex and beautiful. It will do well in the cellar; enjoy 2024–2034.
Cellar Selection
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the gems is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jamie, which is named after the founder of the estate and is a barrel selection. This medium to full-bodied, incredibly layered and seamless Cabernet offers a beautiful perfume of red and black fruits, dried earth, bay leaf, and spice cake aromas and flavors. It’s perfectly balanced, has no hard edges, and will keep for 2+ decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most expensive wine of the group is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Davies Estate Jamie. I suspect this is the proprietor’s selection of the best barrels, and it is a special wine. Juicy, with loads of sucrosity, a dense purple color, and plenty of cassis, blueberry and black berry fruit, the wine is full-bodied, but at the same time, incredibly elegant and pure. Drink it over the next 20-25 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see it last longer given its almost impeccable balance.
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.