Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

All three 1994s are backward, well-built, tannic wines meant to last for two decades or more. I suspect they will be among the least flattering wines to taste when released. The most impressively-endowed wine of the three is the 1994 Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is opaque purple. The wine offers a glorious display of blackcurrant, plum, and blueberry fruit gently infused with toasty oak. The roasted, smoky, richness of this wine is immediately apparent when it hits the palate. There are layers of ripe, unctuously-textured fruit, full body, and hard hitting tannin in the finish. It is backward, rich, and extremely impressive. As a fan of Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignons in the seventies and early eighties, I have frequently detailed my lack of enthusiasm for vintages after 1984. For that reason, I am happy to report that barrel samples of Diamond Creek's 1994s look to be the most reassuringly fine examples of this estate's Cabernets that I have tasted since 1984. Let's hope they put the wines into the bottle naturally, without excessive fining or filtering. Certainly the raw materials are very impressive. Range: 92-95

Tight, complex and backward, with grape, currant and berry-laced flavors, and firm tannins on the finish. Hold off for now.