Diamond Creek Vineyards

Al Brounstein purchased 70 acres of land on rugged Diamond Mountain in 1968 and established Diamond Creek Vineyards, one of Napa Valley's most groundbreaking estates. The story Brounstein cultivated for years was that he had obtained Cabernet Sauvignon budwood from Bordeaux First Growth estates and brought it into California through Mexico, evading regulations of the era; the budwood narrative has become part of the estate's mythology. The first vintage was produced in 1972, and Diamond Creek pioneered the site-specific, single-vineyard philosophy for Cabernet Sauvignon in California long before it became commonplace. Al Brounstein passed away in 2006, and his wife and co-founder Adelle (Boots) Brounstein in 2019. In early 2020, the estate was acquired by Maison Louis Roederer's Rouzaud family, marking the first ownership change since the founding.

• Founded 1968 by Al Brounstein with 70 acres on rugged Diamond Mountain; first vintage 1972
• Cabernet Sauvignon budwood reputedly sourced from Bordeaux First Growth estates and brought into California through Mexico
• Pioneered single-vineyard, terroir-driven Cabernet Sauvignon in California decades before it became standard practice
• Acquired by Maison Louis Roederer (Rouzaud family) in early 2020, marking the first ownership change since the founding

Diamond Creek sits within the Diamond Mountain District AVA of Napa Valley (federally designated June 1, 2001), with the estate's roughly 20 planted acres divided into four single-vineyard sites that the family farms as distinct expressions of soil and microclimate. Elevations across the property fall within the broader Diamond Mountain range (the AVA itself runs roughly 400 to 2,000 feet, with some Diamond Mountain vineyards higher). What makes Diamond Creek extraordinary is the diversity of soils packed into a small area: Volcanic Hill (roughly 8 acres) features pale volcanic ash; Red Rock Terrace (roughly 7 acres) has rocky red soils high in iron; Gravelly Meadow (roughly 5 acres) contains pebbly, porous brown soils; and the tiny Lake Vineyard (roughly three-quarters of an acre, beside the property's man-made lake) sits on gravelly, well-drained soils with the coolest microclimate of the four sites.

• Four distinct single-vineyard sites across approximately 20 planted acres within the 70-acre Diamond Mountain property
• Diamond Mountain District AVA federally designated June 1, 2001; AVA elevations run roughly 400 to 2,000 feet
• Soils: pale volcanic ash on Volcanic Hill, iron-rich red rock on Red Rock Terrace, pebbly brown soils on Gravelly Meadow, gravelly well-drained soils at the Lake
• Lake Vineyard sits beside a man-made lake and has the coolest microclimate of the four sites

Diamond Creek produces four single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, each reflecting its distinct soil and microclimate. Volcanic Hill and Red Rock Terrace represent the warmer sites, while Gravelly Meadow and Lake are the cooler expressions. The Lake Vineyard wine is produced only in exceptional vintages, making it the rarest of the four. Grapes grown include Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of complementary Bordeaux varieties such as Petit Verdot and Merlot used in some vintages. All vineyards are hand-harvested with the harvest window spanning several weeks across the four sites to respect individual microclimates. Total production sits at approximately 1,500 cases per year (around 500 cases per vineyard) when all sites are released, with sustainable farming practices maintained by the long-tenured estate team.

• Four single-vineyard wines: Volcanic Hill, Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, and Lake
• Lake Vineyard wine produced only in exceptional vintages, making it the rarest of the four
• Approximately 1,500 cases total annually; around 500 cases per vineyard when all are released
• Hand-harvested across an extended harvest window to respect each site's distinct microclimate

Phil Steinschriber became winemaker for Al Brounstein on February 1, 1991, and produced the Diamond Creek wines for nearly three decades, helping shape the softer mid-1990s register and the rounder, more complex 2000s style. Graham Wehmeier (formerly of Futo Estate) took over winemaking in 2020 following the transition in ownership to Maison Louis Roederer, with the role progressively handed off from Steinschriber. Nicole Carter became President in 2020. The long-tenured farming team has continued to maintain the estate's vineyards under sustainable practices, providing continuity across the ownership change.

• Phil Steinschriber served as winemaker from February 1, 1991 through the 2020 transition (nearly three decades)
• Graham Wehmeier (formerly of Futo Estate) became winemaker in 2020
• Nicole Carter named President in 2020 following the Maison Louis Roederer acquisition
• Long-tenured farming team has managed the vineyards sustainably for decades, providing continuity across ownership

Diamond Creek Vineyards occupies a foundational place in California single-vineyard Cabernet history. Founded in 1968 with first vintage 1972, the estate is widely recognized as the first California winery dedicated exclusively to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and as the first Napa producer to bottle separate single-vineyard Cabernets from a single contiguous property. That decision (to release Volcanic Hill, Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, and, in exceptional vintages, Lake as four distinct wines rather than blending them) pre-dated the broader single-vineyard Napa movement by roughly two decades. The 2020 acquisition by Maison Louis Roederer's Rouzaud family brought a continuity-minded European steward to one of California's most historically significant estates, with Graham Wehmeier succeeding Phil Steinschriber after nearly three decades. For students of the trade, Diamond Creek is the canonical case study in early Napa single-vineyard thinking, soil-driven blending decisions, and the long-horizon stewardship of a small but historically important California estate.

• Foundational case study in California single-vineyard Cabernet, recognized as the first California winery dedicated exclusively to 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• First Napa producer to bottle four separate single-vineyard Cabernets (Volcanic Hill, Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, Lake) from one contiguous property, two decades ahead of the broader single-vineyard Napa movement
• 2020 acquisition by Maison Louis Roederer's Rouzaud family brought a continuity-minded European steward to one of California's most historically significant estates
• Canonical reference for early Napa single-vineyard thinking, soil-driven blending decisions, and long-horizon stewardship of a small but historically important California estate