Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a decanter about two hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with a lovely mix of dark and red fruits, cassis, black and red brambles, tobacco, eucalyptus, leather, cedar box, green herbs, some cocoa, and beautiful baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. The texture is silky, in fact, down right sexy. Brilliantly balanced. This is a profoundly sensual wine and one of the best young Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignons I’ve had in many years. These will age for a very long time and I can only imagine how epic the 2021 Terrace Select is going to be. Drink now with an extended decant and through 2051+. — 17 days ago

Andrew

8.9

Crisp, apples — 4 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

9.3

Delicate, fresh, nice minerals. Beautiful. — 4 months ago

romo

9.2

2nd place. Brownies in the oven nose, silky texture, some ink press and sous bouis. Very nice. — 7 months ago

Catherine Leith

9.0

Nice, but not as full bodied as some of their other reds. Notes of ripe black fruits. — a year ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.7

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Three Vineyard Blend is an experimental wine that was bottled a few times in Diamond Creek's history, but never officially commercially released. The 2013, a blend of 70% Volcanic Hill, 25% Red Rock Terrace, and 5% Gravelly Meadow is superb. What a wine. Rich, powerful and savory, the 2013 is just starting to enter the place where it is approachable, in relative terms of course. There is still plenty of hillside tannin, and yet there is so much about the 2013 that is alluring. The aromatic breadth, the intensity of the fruit and the wine's persistence are all so compelling. Wow. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)
— 4 years ago

Carmen

10

Red cherries, currants, tobacco
Juicy despite its age but still silky and smooth. I’ll be thinking about this magnum for a very long time. A Napa Cab that tastes like a Burgundy after time. Simply perfect! — 7 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

2 1/2 hour decant and still shows semi-resolved, round, meaty tannins. I can only imagine how big this wine was at release.

Silly, silly. Dark chocolate cooking bar, smooth expresso, sweet tarriness, anise-black licorice, mocha, caramel, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark, resolved spice, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum & very, dark cherries. Fresh & candied, lavender, violets round acidity, balance, nice tension, structure, well knitted and really well polished lush, finish that lasts 90 seconds.

Yes, there are Sonoma Cabernet producers that stand right in there w/ Napa. This is certainly one. — 9 months ago

Leo Gentile

9.4

Delicious fruity zin that’s holding up beautifully. A bit of oxidation although no pronounced off aroma or palette. Remarkable how this rich ripe wine has consistently delivered fruit and supple tannins after 10+ years. Tribute to Mr. Scherrer. — 2 years ago

Mary Christoph

9.1

Really excellent red wine, great with food — 4 years ago