2018 Diamond Creek "Gravelly Meadow" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

 Crushed stone fruit, blackcurrants, bay leaf, iodine and seaweed. Full-bodied with blue fruit, firm tannins and super length. It’s austere and so focused. Great length. Needs time to open and show its true self. Harkens back to the late 1970s. Try after 2026.  (8/2022)

 The 2018 Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 8.4% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 5.1% Petit Verdot. It instantly opens to wonderful aromas of dark currants, spiced plum, graphite, baking spices, cigar box, fresh sage and dusty nuances all taking shape beautifully in the glass. On the palate this medium to full-bodied, displaying remarkable overall balance with gorgeous velvety tannins and a wonderful seamless texture. It goes on to impress with excellent poise and concentration, as flavors of red and dark currants combine with exotic spices and expand gracefully through the long, polished finish. This is a sensational showing from Diamond Creek, which is already extremely appealing, however also possesses the characteristics to thrive in the cellar over the course of the next two decades. (JD)  (7/2021)

 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow is a blend of 78.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.4% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 5.1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips effortlessly from the glass, singing of ripe black cherries, black raspberries and cassis, plus hints of red currants, roses, cinnamon stick and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely freshness, offering bags of perfumed black fruits in the mouth, beautifully supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long with lots of soft-spoken floral and mineral whispers. This perfumed beauty wears the 2018 vintage stamp well, presenting a more delicate expression of this vineyard—one that I love! (LPB)  (3/2021)