The Diamond Mountain AVA in Napa County is another North Bay Hidden Gem.
Diamond Mountain District feels like a world away from the Napa Valley floor. Located just southwest of Calistoga in the Mayacamas Mountains, it begins at 400 feet and is nestled between Petrified Forest Road to the north, the Sonoma County line to the west and Ritchie Creek to the south. It encompasses only 5,000 acres, with about 500 planted to vineyards—the rest is just too steep.
Diamond Mountain Road is the main route, and most of the wineries are located along its narrow, winding, tree-lined path. The majority are mostly open by appointment only or are entirely private, since most producers live on their properties—if you visit, you’re literally at their home. The feeling is, therefore, understandably private and reserved. On Diamond Mountain, thus named for the sparkling volcanic glass crystals in its soils, you’ll find a much more personal experience.
A look back
The first person to plant vineyards on Diamond Mountain was Jacob Schram, who developed a 217-acre property (now known as Schramsberg Vineyards and J. Davies Vineyards) at the southernmost tip of the AVA in 1862. He also oversaw the digging of more than a half-mile of caves, and built a Victorian mansion for his family in 1875. The California State Park Commission declared the property a historical landmark in 1957 because it has the first hillside vineyard in California. The site was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1998.
In 1883, Richard Schmidt planted 65 vineyard acres near the mountain’s Sonoma County border, and Adele Furniss built a winery one mile below it in 1890. At its peak along the Napa County line, Diamond Mountain Vineyard was originally developed in 1895 by the Rasmussen family. Some believe there were more vineyards on the mountain in the 1800s than there are today. But, like many other areas, phylloxera and Prohibition changed that.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the next wave of vineyard owners. Probably the most well known is Al Brounstein, who was one of the first in California to talk about terroir. He developed his Diamond Creek property in 1968, focusing on vineyard-designate, Bordeaux-style Cabernets. In 1974, William Hill purchased Diamond Mountain Ranch, which he later sold to Sterling Vineyards; today, Sterling produces a Diamond Mountain Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from its 120 acres of fruit (the ranch is 300 acres total; with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc planted). The ranch is the largest vineyard property on the mountain.
The area’s most recent attraction is Castello di Amorosa (see “King of the Castle,” June 2007), owned by Dario Sattui of V. Sattui winery. While most wineries on Diamond Mountain feature Cabernet Sauvignon, “the castle” focuses on Italian varietals, which also do very well in the mountain’s soils and climate.
Diamond sparkles
When Jack and Jamie Davies bought Schramsberg Vineyards in 1965, they planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for their signature sparkling wine. (Their third son, Hugh Davies, who’d go on to become President/CEO of the winery, was born that same year.) Over time, they realized the grapes they sourced from cooler climates were superior for sparkling wines to those growing on the property. So in 1994, they began replanting the vineyard, an effort that continued until 2009. Today, there are about 43 acres planted on the 217-acre property, growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot for the J. Davies brand. The winery also grows Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
There are three vineyards planted at about 500 to 1,000 feet in elevation. “The diversity of our volcanic soils provides us with significant variability in the Cabernet Sauvignon wines that we have to blend with,” says Hugh Davies. The best lots are used for J. Davies wines, which Hugh describes as “concentrated and substantial. People like them for their elegance, polish, depth and dark berry flavors.”
Originally, all the grapes were sold, but by 2001, the J. Davies (named after Jack) label became reality. Five hundred and fifty cases were made that year and released in 2004. “Our Cabernet Sauvignon is in the barrel for two years, then one year in the bottle before it’s sold,” says Davies.
The 2,100 cases of 2007 have already sold out, as have all previous vintages (large formats of 2005, 2006 and 2007 are still available—got any parties planned?). The 2008, scheduled for a September release, is a blend of 84 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 percent Malbec and 4 percent Petit Ver-dot. A second label [also estate] is called jd and bottle ages six months less than J. Da vies. J. Davies is available at the winery and is also sold through retailers and restaurants; jd is sold solely direct-to-consumer at the winery or through the website. When available, J. Davies and jd can be tasted as part of the winery tour experience, which is by appointment only.
Diamond Terrace
Moving north, the first winery along Diamond Mountain Road is Diamond Terrace, owned by Hal and Maureen Taylor, who purchased the 16-acre property in 1998. Their five acres of vineyards stretch from 400 to 600 feet in elevation. “We’re the newbies on the mountain,” says Maureen.
The couple relocated from Orange County after regularly visiting Maureen’s parents, Ed and Norma Doty, who bought a 10-acre property on Howell Mountain in 1988. “We thought it was so beautiful compared to where we lived,” says Maureen. “Each time we visited, it was harder to leave.” In 1997, they rented a house in Calistoga and began their search.
“We knew we liked mountain Cabernet, so we were looking for a mountain vineyard. When we bought this property, at first we thought we’d just be growers, but we were encouraged by friends to make wine, too. Joe Briggs [of August Briggs winery] helped get us started,” she says.
“We got suckered in!” laughs Hal, whose company, Taylor Architects, designs, builds and remodels businesses and residences. He designed and helped build their home on the property. It features stonework from the property integrated throughout and a pool terrace that looks out onto Sterling Vineyards winery and the Palisades mountains beyond.
Luckily, the vineyard had already been planted (between 1987 and 1992) when they took possession, because there are now planting restrictions regarding such steeply terraced sites. Because of how steep it is, the vineyard is entirely farmed by hand. Hal does the vineyard floor management, and Clark Vineyard Management (owned by Josh Clark) does the pruning and picking. It’s farmed in three separate blocks to maximize the fruit’s quality and only produces about two tons per acre, which seems to be the norm for the area. The wine goes to Outpost Vineyards on Howell Mountain, where it stays in barrels for about 20 to 21 months before being bottled. Joe Briggs was winemaker until 2004, when the Taylors switched to Outpost, where Thomas Brown has been winemaker since 2005 (his personal winery is called Rivers Marie).
Diamond Terrace produces two separate wines that are both 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and estate grown. One is from their Diamond Mountain property, the other from Howell Mountain (Maureen’s parents have passed, so the Taylors now own that property as well, along with Maureen’s two brothers). Their current release is 2007, and 1999 was the first vintage they produced. They do 250 to 300 cases of each per year.
We sampled the 2005 vintage of each, and there are obvious differences. The Howell Mountain has red fruit and cocoa flavors, while the Diamond Mountain has more black fruit with earthy characteristics. Both are elegant, well-rounded examples of mountain Cabernet.
Dyer Vineyard
Literally adjacent to Diamond Terrace is Dyer Vineyard, owned by longtime winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer (she was winemaker at Domaine Chandon for 25 years, he was winemaker at Sterling Vineyards), who bought their Diamond Mountain property in 1992, planted in 1993, then built a custom home there. “When we saw this property [12 acres], it wasn’t developed. The first thing we knew was it had potential,” says Dawnine. “The thing we’ve learned to appreciate is the underlying rockiness. There are areas where the vines have had to crawl around the rocks. So the roots are very deep.
“The property is slightly north-facing, so we don’t get quite as much sun as others in the district. And we harvest about 10 days later with lower sugar, so we get good hang time. It’s helpful on a small property; there’s more structure and less obvious fruit impact.
“The land has good volcanic gravel and good drainage—although we didn’t know how many rocks there’d be!” she laughs. “We initially planted all the Bordeaux varieties, but in the years since, we’ve increased Cabernet Sauvignon and only kept Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. One reason we favor Cabernet Franc is it lifts the wine’s graphite characters,” she says.
The couple also helped ensure it obtained its AVA status. “The spearheads were Rudy [von Strasser] and Al Brounstein,” says Dawnine. “I was on the board of the Napa Valley Vintners [she’s past president] when the Franzia problem happened. So the idea of an AVA’s value resonated with me and Bill.”
She poured me the 2007 and told me it’s “still a baby.” I found it dark and wonderfully structured, with mineral elements and a hint of herb. “We just did a tasting of 1997 and 2007; both got critical attention a decade apart,” says Dawnine.
So how do you get your hands on this lovely stuff? “We release a couple times per year,” says Dawnine. “People can always call. We like to hold a library because we believe strongly that this region’s wines have great aging potential. We also sell at a few restaurants and retailers, but none that have it all the time because the production is so small.” But good things come in small packages.
“To us, it’s not our primary income. It’s where we do just exactly what we want.”
von Strasser Winery
When you talk about Diamond Mountain District obtaining its AVA status, the outspoken Rudy von Strasser’s name always comes up. He moved to the area when he purchased Roddis Winery in 1990 and was the one who spearheaded the AVA petition.
“Diamond Mountain wasn’t recognized as an official appellation, but everyone wanted to be able to use the designation on their label,” he says. “So I got a group of neighbors together and we decided on potential boundaries and a few other issues.” The petition was finalized in 2001.
“Diamond Mountain is mostly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon for two reasons. First, it does very well here and makes great wines. Second, because the wines are so good, they sell for a high premium,” says von Strasser. “There are some Bordeaux blending varieties grown here, as well as some more esoteric varietals. I make full-throttle, full a Zinfandel from a very small 1.5-acre block. I grow and produce a white wine made from Grüner Veltliner, which is the national white grape of Austria. I also have a rosé called Eye of the Diamond, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Malbec, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.”
The winery produces 3,500 to 4,000 cases annually and is best known for its reserve and single-vineyard bottlings. “I search out these little vineyards, analyze their soils, exposures, trellis systems and plant material selections, then make changes to maximize what they can produce,” says von Strasser.
His estate vineyard property includes 12 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, one of Petit Verdot, one of Malbec and one of Grüner Veltliner. The winery is in a barn built in the late 1880s that’s been remodeled on the interior. A series of caves was added in 2000, where von Strasser stores his barrels.
The von Strasser winery is one of the few in the area that’s open to visitation by appointment. It offers basic tastings and more unique pairings, such as wine and cheese or wine and handmade chocolates “Here you don’t see another house,” he says. “It has a really early California feel to it, unlike many of the architectural showcases around Napa. We’re a working ranch. Old barn, beautiful cave, great vineyards and we make great wine from that. Our focus is on the alcohol,” he says. “But that’s not what I make here. My goal is to make elegant wines. My best tool is my palate.”
Diamond Creek
Just up the road is Diamond Creek Vineyards. Created in 1968 by Al Brounstein, it was the first estate vineyard in California to produce Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively. Brounstein originally planned to make it all one vineyard, but when he discovered different types of soils, he changed his plan and created four separate vineyards instead. The eight-acre Volcanic Hill vineyard is named after its white volcanic tuft soil; Gravelly Meadow (five acres, cooler vineyard) is rocky loam and shallow; Red Rock Terrace vineyard (seven acres, warm, north-facing) is named for its iron-rich, red soil. The Lake vineyard is the smallest (0.75 acre) and coolest. The entire property is 79 acres. There’s 88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 percent Merlot, 2 percent Cabernet Franc and 2 percent Petit Verdot.
Phil Steinschriber joined as winemaker in the early 1990s and is still there today. He describes Red Rock Terrace as “having velvety tannins, medium dark ruby color with cherry, mint and black currant flavors.” Gravelly Meadow wines are described as “earthy, cedary, jammy and ripe blackberry with a spicy, expansive finish.” Volcanic Hill wines are described as “loaded with intense, ripe berry fruit, cassis, violets and a great richness, finishing with good length and firm tannins.”
“Our wines age forever,” says Assistant of Sales and Marketing Gale Dalebroux, who’s been with the winery for 10 years. “We get calls all the time from people who are blown away by how much fruit is left in a 1978, for example.”
“The Lake vineyard wine is the most feminine in structure,” she says. “It’s beautiful when we produce it. It ripens last because it’s the coolest. It’s only been produced separately 13 times in the winery’s history. Otherwise it’s blended into the other wines.”
Brounstein, who died in 2006 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, was inducted into the vintners hall of fame in 2010. Boots (his wife) now runs the winery on a daily basis with her son, Philip Ross. She also hosts an annual event called Diamonds in the Rough, which supports the Parkinson’s Institute for Research in Sunnyvale.
“Al had a hand in helping California show its limelight,” says Dalebroux. “He was quick-witted to the end. He was honored quite often and would always say, ‘Me, again?’ It was refreshing to have him so humble.”
The entire property is naturally landscaped with flowers and lagoons, several waterfalls, a pool and picnic areas. And while there’s no tasting room, the private estate invites people on the mailing list (the only way to obtain the wine; less than 2,000 cases are produced annually) to annual open houses, where visitors are encouraged to walk the beautiful grounds.
Constant Wines
At the top of Diamond Mountain Road, you’ll find Diamond Mountain Vineyard/Constant Wines, owned by Fred and Mary Constant, the district’s highest-elevation vineyard. Fred met me at the base of his property in one of his two Swiss Army Pinzgauer vehicles. We hopped inside and he took me on a tour of the property, which meanders up toward its restored 1890s farmhouse, then past the winery (built into the hillside), up to his barrel cave and home. You literally walk through the cave to get inside the house, which is an architectural gem designed by Howard Backen. It was featured in Architectural Digest (“Private Reserve,” June 2005). The entire property, which is at 2,200 feet at its highest, has commanding views of the surrounding mountains and valleys below.
Fred started “The Crush” (KRSH 95.5/95.9) radio in 1993; his background is in the broadcasting business, starting up and managing new stations. Mary is a chef, and while she handles some of the wine marketing, her focus is to bring it alive with food. The Constants even offer a limited amount of private tours, tastings and group event bookings.
The winery was built in 2001. “We started making wine in 1995 at a custom crush facility,” says Fred. “We continue to sell grapes and make our own wine.” When the winery was built (into the hillside), Fred says, “I was wondering what to put on top, then realized it was the exact size of a regulation bocce ball court.”
Since it sits above the fog line, the property has warm evenings; there are also no heat spikes, raisining or rot problems because it remains cooler during the hottest part of the day. “It’s a Constant climate here,” he laughs.
There are 40 planted acres: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc on the Napa side and Syrah on the Sonoma side (labeled under Constancii). The soil is aiken clay loam, which has excellent drainage. The winery was green certified in 2009.
Longtime vineyard manager is Ignacio Alfaro, Paul Hobbs is consulting winemaker and Fred is winemaker. Most of the wine is sold at the winery, where you can visit by appointment. You can also call to purchase it and, on occasion, find it in select restaurants.
Things to do
Most people I spoke with on the mountain shared an affinity for getting together with neighbors to enjoy wine and food. They also often mentioned hiking as a favorite pastime (the Dyers like to forage for mushrooms, too). Lucky for them, there are several places nearby to enjoy the outdoors beyond the vineyards. One is Boethe Napa Valley State Park, which stretches from the AVA’s southern border up to its ridge. It offers camping, picnicking, swimming and hiking. It has a Native American plant garden next to a visitor center, which offers a peek into the area’s original inhabitants’ (the Wappo tribe) lifestyle. Just south of the park, toward St. Helena, is the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park, which was originally owned by Dr. Edward T. Bale, who owned a lot of the land between Rutherford and Calistoga during the 1840s. Visiting both will give you a good feel for both the area and its history—before or after you taste its rich, distinctive wines.
Diamond Mountain Ranch/Sterling Vineyards
J. Davies Vineyards/Schramsberg Vineyards
Editor’s note: If you know of a winery that isn’t included here, please let us know and we’ll add it to this list.
