Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (750ML)

98 JS / 97 WA

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow is a blend of 78.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.4% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 5.1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it slips effortlessly from the glass, singing of ripe black cherries, black raspberries and cassis, plus hints of red currants, roses, cinnamon stick and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers lovely freshness, offering bags of perfumed black fruits in the mouth, beautifully supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long with lots of soft-spoken floral and mineral whispers. This perfumed beauty wears the 2018 vintage stamp well, presenting a more delicate expression of this vineyard—one that I love! 647 cases were made. LPB The Wine Advocate

Crushed stone fruit, blackcurrants, bay leaf, iodine and seaweed. Full-bodied with blue fruit, firm tannins and super length. It’s austere and so focused. Great length. Needs time to open and show its true self. Harkens back to the late 1970s. Try after 2026.--James Suckling