1982 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 'Gravelly Meadow,' Napa Valley

Each vineyard has its own unique microclimate, for example the Volcanic Hill attracts more heat and lies on ancient volcanic ash from Mount Konocti. Red Rock Terrace is slightly cooler as it is has a northern rather than southern exposure with a higher iron content in the soil. Gravelly Meadow is the cooler still, lying on a preternatural riverbed whose gravelly soil make it the least water retentative, ergo the vines are the lowest yielding. The Lake Vineyard is the coolest, thanks to the prevailing Pacific breezes. Al Brounstein believes in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and has no wish to diversify into other varieties. It accounts for 88% of his planting, augmented by 8% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that finds its way into Volcanic Hill and Lake bottling. The nuances in microclimate and temperature mean that it takes one month of 15 to 20 tries to handpick the entire vineyard as grapes ripen at different intervals. That is vital for Diamond Creek, since the fermentat