DIAMOND CREEK CABERNET VOLCANIC HILL 2015, Napa

The graphite and gravel notes really come through on the nose, and it paired perfectly with a smoked brisket. This is easily the most complex Cab I've had from the region, with layers that unfold long after the last sip.

Drank this with a ribeye and the volcanic minerality really came through — that graphite and gravel edge cut the richness perfectly. The crème de cassis was still bright after all these years, and the menthol note on the finish kept it from feeling heavy.

Opened this after ten years in the cellar and the lavender and menthol really lift the dark fruit—savory and elegant, not jammy at all. The finish goes on forever with that gravelly minerality.