Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Von Strasser’s south-facing estate vineyard produced a bright and zingy 2013 with purple edges to the primary fruit. Underneath that youthful grapey character, there’s the structure of a serious wine. Air brings out floral notes and herbal complexity over a rich layer of bitter chocolate tannins. It feels powerful while finishing with cool restraint. Rudy von Strasser sold his estate vineyard after the 2014 harvest, which will be the last vintage of this wine, though he will continue to produce his stable of Diamond Mountain cabernets at a new facility he purchased in Calistoga.
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Wine Enthusiast
Raspberry and cranberry flavors and a twist of cinnamon stick accent the firm tannins of this estate wine, marked by classic red currant, cedar and dried herb notes. Medium-bodied and modest in oak, it shows a clarity of crisp acidity.
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.