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Joseph B. Rosenberg
 
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Re Diamond Creek---when I was assembling some of the great Left Coast wines
of 1966-1977 tastings held 1983-1988 I tried to find some Diamond Creek on
my journeys to Napa, Sonoma, SF,Oakland, Burlingame,Palo Alto and Marin.
Finally at Lake Merritt Wine & Cheese they were pouring some of the 1978's
at I think $10 a shot, I was merely "whelmed" at the time. If I recall
while I could still buy the Conn Creek 1974 for about $85 and an older
Martha's for about the same. The Diamond Creeks were around $150 each and
so I passed buying them. I believe Marvin Shankin still praises Diamond
Creek and says he is a bud of Al Brounstein, the cantankerous owner. I
think it was one of the wines discussed in the Spectator's interview with
Rusty Staub and maybe Mel Brooks, both vinous benchmarks of wine journalism.

As for Kenwood, I've never forgiven them for putting a nekkid lady on their
Artist series bottling one year. Of course the US BATF put a stop to that
nonsense ASAP & Pronto. Ol Jessie Helms wanted to go nuclear on them, but
wiser heads prevailed. Met Marty Lee & family at Sonoma Wine auction, one
of the first, had a big laugh over the label. I believe they also submitted
a skeleton in the same pose as the nekkid lady, but those folks at BATF were
no dummies- they rejected the cadaver too. Did you know that Spain had a
stamp with Goya's Naked Maja on it. It was banned from being shown at stamp
shows in the US by someone in Eisenhower's Administration. I stuck the
stamp in a Stamp collecting exhibit at the Asbury Park HS Library. My mom
got called into the Principal's Office and they removed the stamp from the
display, so you know I'm a deviant and agitator from Jump Street. Anyway
mega dittoes on the Kenwood wines; never pretentious always a fair priced
treat.


> wrote in message
oups.com...
The monthly 'business' blind tasting lunch notes:

big snip

1985 Kenwood Cabernet (Sonoma) - I tasted this early in its life and
decided that it would age well. While it hasn't got the legs of the
exceptional 1978 (sadly, I have no more of this), it has held up well
and drinks nicely now, a feat for a 'regular' wine. I suppose you
could call this a third label after the Artist's label and the Jack
London.
Also showing browning edges, the mature cabernet nose unmistakeable (at
least to me), this wine still has sufficient fruit to drink well, and
has turned out to show an elegance in old age that was absent in youth.

1978 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet - we were musing about what
had happened to this legendary, iconic winery. The wines of the 70s
were fantastic, then the winery seemed to slide after the early 80s and
while I've seen the odd good comment on later wines, it just
doesn't seem to be producing at the same level. Showing age only at
the edges, this wine had a lovely nose of oak and mellow mature fruit.
On palate it was as close to perfection as you'd like to see or taste
- still weighty with complex flavours and impeccable balance, it is a
wine for thoughtfulness - sure, the wineries in California are making
wine of an average quality level much higher than was the case when
this wine was made, with fewer failures. But do they attain the heights
that some of the 1970s wines did, full of character and individuality,
lasting for decades? I have my doubts. Have I had better California
Cabs? Probably, on occasion, maybe some of the other 70s vintages would
rival this, but with lunch with friends, this was a truly memorable
bottle, and my thanks to the one who brought it. My clear vote for best
of lunch!! I'll add one other comment. I've been fortunate enough
to taste this vintage of Diamond Creek pretty much across the board.
The last one I had was a Gravelly Meadow a couple of years ago, and I
found it to be much more like a Bordeaux. The Volcanic Hill was somehow
(to me) quintessentially American. Sorry to ramble on, but this wine
merits discussion!