2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill

From the 3ha Volcanic Hill single vineyard. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermentation in small, open-top fermenters, followed by a cold soak and gentle extraction of up to 21 days on skins. Aged 20 months in nearly 75% new French Oak and aged one year in bottle before release. Perhaps the darkest and most showy of the wines in 2021 in terms of its aromatics, boasting black plum and blue fruit notes and slatestone, with full-bodied richness, plush, seductive dark-berry fruits, and darker earth mineral character nuanced by grilled herbs. Crisp, ripe tannins are super compact, layering in a solid foundation to support all the ripe, dark fruit character. There's plenty of tension here, too. During my visit in June of 2024, Nicole Carter (president) and winemaker Graham Wehmeier took me on a tour of the property to get an upfront and close look at Diamond Creek's single vineyards (Volcanic Hill, Gravelly Meadow, and Red Rock Terrace). There is a good amount of replanting going on, and as the young vine fruit comes online shortly, much of it will likely get blended into their Three Vineyard Blend as the winery's entry-level bottling. Graham, who joined in 2020, has dialled down the toast levels on the oak and is exploring new cooperages. Suffice it to say, the wines are more expressive of the site than ever, with a freshness factor dialled way up.