Name: Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace 2014 750ml
Brand: Diamond Creek
SKU: 989556
Price: 434.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 95 (7 reviews)

Winery

Diamond Creek

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Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

By far and away the most recognized and widely grown red wine grape varietal in the world is the Cabernet Sauvignon. First cultivated in the 18th century in France, this wonderful cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes has long since been the most important varietal for red wines across the globe. Now grown everywhere from its native France to the furthest reaches of the New World, Cabernet Sauvignon is adored and prized by wineries for its hardiness and resistance to rot, as well as its large and sharp flavors and wonderful capability for fine aging Indeed, many of the finest wines of history and the modern age would be simply unimaginable without Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with the famed wineries of Bordeaux and other important regions using it as the primary grape in their oak aged produce. High tannin levels, acidity and powerful flavors are the characteristics most commonly associated with this varietal, however, when blended and slowly aged, it is capable of a world of flavors and aromas unmatched by any other grape.

Country

United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Region

California

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Appellation

Napa Valley

When it comes to New World wines, and especially wines from the United States of America, Napa Valley is something of a standard bearer. Over its relatively short history, it has managed to transform itself from being a fairly insignificant region, to becoming one of the most important and highly regarding wine locations on earth. With an ideal climate for viticulture, blazing sunshine and a low level of rainfall, this valley is shielded on many sides by mountain ranges which help it maintain a consistent level of heat, light and moisture throughout the year. Today, Napa Valley is a home of innovation and quality, with dozens of grape varietals thriving in the fertile soils. However, the main varietals grown there have always been Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel, and the wines they produce are constantly lauded by critics and competitions across the globe.

JS 97pts

James Suckling

Beautiful clarity and brilliance define this with blackberry, currant and floral aromas that follow through to a full body, glorious fruit and remarkable tension. Velvety and opulent. Needs four to five years to come around. Try in 2022.

WA 96pts

Wine Advocate

Deep inky black in color, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace is scented of blackberries, warm black plums and red and black currants with touches of fertile soil, sautéed herbs, charcuterie, new leather and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the red and black fruits layers fill the mouth, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and earthy.

WNS 96pts

Wine & Spirits

Red Rock, with its deep, iron-rich soils, is often the most buxom of Diamond Creek’s cabernets. The terraced vines face north, that exposure further cooled by Pacific breezes crossing a cut in the Mayacamas and following the creek down past the vines. Cool fruit runs through this vintage, saturating the wine with scents of crushed strawberries and chewy black-cherry skins. It’s bright and zesty even as the structure is grand, gracious enough to be approachable as a young wine, though concentrated and powerful enough to age for a decade or more. If you open this now, decant it for short ribs. (508 cases)

VM 95pts

Vinous Media

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace is surprisingly open for a young Diamond Creek Cabernet. Super-ripe red cherry, pomegranate and plum fruit give the wine quite a bit of near and medium-term appeal. Expressive floral and spice notes add brightness to this decidedly gracious, almost sensual, Cabernet. The purity of the bright, red-toned fruit is striking. Refined and silky the 2014 will drink well with minimal cellaring.

WE 94pts

Wine Enthusiast

Oaky toast and cherry jam meet tangy, juicy acidity in this grippy wine that's firm in velvety tannin. With a balance of power, it reveals chocolate mocha and black currant in equal measure, the minerality from the site's iron-rich red rocky soil on full display.

DC 94pts

Decanter

Red Rock Terrace is a north-facing 7-acre vineyard, producing here a wine that is striking for the purity and power of its cassis and blackberry fruit. It’s textured and has concentrated mint, black cherry and earth flavours. This wine is from an extremely good quality vintage that was noted for the earthquake that struck on August 24, affecting many of the region's wineries. Diamond Creek is one of the key estates in the history of Napa Cabernet, with the Brounstein family producing the first $100 Cabernet with their 1978 Lake Vineyard, and planting the first all-Cabernet vineyard in the late 1960s, and the confidence and quality of this wine suggests they are key to its continuing reputation today. Drinking Window 2020 - 2055.

WS 93pts

Wine Spectator

Deftly balanced and well-proportioned, with a mix of loamy earth, dried dark berry, licorice, sage, cedar and crushed rock flavors. All the elements remain prominent throughout. Best from 2020 through 2032. 508 cases made.

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Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace 2014 750ml

Case of 6

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