### 1974 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow 

BY NEAL MARTIN | JANUARY 17, 2023

I have always had a soft spot for Diamond Creek Vineyards, charmed by Al and Boots Brounstein, who would regularly pour their wines in London in the early days of my career. The couple founded the Napa Valley estate in 1968 and had the nous to separate four vineyards and bottle them separately. (The property was sold in 2020 to the Rouzaud family of Maison Louis Roederer.) It had been a while since I tasted a mature vintage. A splendid Thanksgiving dinner at Bistro de L’Hôtel, organised by a munificent friend, saw several iconic Napa bottles accompany our turkey that I intend to publish as Cellar Favourites this year.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1673639414847-diamond+creek+1974.jpg)

The **1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow** is the most mature bottle I have drunk from Diamond Creek; not that age had withered it one iota. Just shy of half a century, it sports a divine nose with ebullient black fruit laced with star anis and camphor, vibrant and exquisite in terms of delineation. Dare I say…almost Pomerol-like! The palate is beautifully balanced and poised. A silver bead of acidity keeps everything taut, yet it flourishes on the finish with gorgeous, sensual black fruit tinged with _pain d’épice_ and thyme, persistent and tender. This fabulous mature Napa Cabernet shows how astute the Brounsteins were in adopting a more Burgundy-like, parcellated view of their vineyards. Magnificent. **97** /Drink 2023-2037.

_© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism._



Cellar Favorite: 1974 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow

Cellar Favorite: 1974 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow (Jan 2023)

ConstantScore(-article_id:{312 381 422 466 735 1092 1114 1146 1208 1209 1210 1231 1235 1241 1242 1245 1249 1258 1261 1276 1283 1298 1302 1312 1321 1325 1338 1601 1734 1980 1998 2164 2193 2198 2268 2425 2529 2566 2825 2994 3120 3140 3371 3977 4341} #producer.id:12926 #article_id:[3600 TO 3600])

DocValuesFieldExistsQuery [field=_primary_term]

Diamond Creek Vineyards

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social