Mystery Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain 2018

 “Marked on the nose by scents of blackberries, cassis, hints of caramel and mocha, this medium to full-bodied Cab is structured, tannic and nicely concentrated, with room to improve over the next decade or so.” – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, 92+ points

The wine is a mystery, but its merits are known far and wide! A 92+ point 2018 vintage Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon for WELL OVER 60% off still has us scratching our heads! But we’re not going to ask too many questions, so let’s just roll with it and play along, shall we? A firm handshake means we can’t share exactly who this wine comes from, but we promise this isn’t some kind of Conn. We’ve only got a tiny, trickling Creek’s worth of allocation to go around, so don’t miss out on this Diamond treasure trove, ‘cause we don’t have a Mountain of it available. Okay, okay, enough with the riddles…our Napa trivia folks may have a solid guess, but here’s a bit more to go off of:

This historic Napa Valley producer has received oodles of critical acclaim (and high scores) for its wines for many years now. It first opened its doors in 1973 and was considered to be one of the valley’s first “green” wineries – and grew its reputation for its incredibly epic cabernet sauvignons (go figure!), along with a slew of other Bordeaux-inspired wines, including their focus on emphasizing Napa’s distinctive AVAs. And this is one of those wines, highlighting fruit from Sori Bricco Vineyard atop Diamond Mountain. The vines here were planted in 1997, on a hillside with well-draining, sandy, and gravelly loam soils and a north-northwest orientation. The high temps on Diamond Mountain in the summer produce juicy, bright fruit flavors while the cooling nights allow for longer hang time and a more mature tannin structure.

About 75% of the wine is whole cluster fermented in tanks before undergoing aging for 19 months in 86% new French oak barrels. It’s drinking beautifully already, with a medley of splendid aromas marked by blackberries, spiced plum pie, boysenberry preserves, and a touch of caramel-mocha latte. The palate opens with summer sun-ripened blackberries picked straight from the bushel, tobacco leaves, sultry olive tapenade, and a mix of toasty warm baking spices. Soft, rounded, mouth-coating tannins leave a lingering finish that concludes with an almost saline minerality that’s just absolutely divine. Normal retail on this is $140 – which is truly no surprise after pouring a glass…or two…to taste – but we got hold of some for you for UNDER $50. This is one you’ll be glad you took the jump on… but don’t wait! There aren’t many to go ‘round!