2007 Ascent Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain 750 ml

Perfectly-Aged Diamond Mountain Cabernet from the Exceptional 2007 Vintage

Few growing seasons in the last two decades were received with as much fanfare as the phenomenally drawn-out harvest of 2007. From Calistoga to Oakville, Howell Mountain to the steepest slopes of Diamond Mountain, 2007 gave birth to explosive Cabernets of immense concentration and sturdy tannin backbone. On release, winemakers were ecstatic, forecasting that the vintage single-handedly blowing the Great Recession storm clouds off Highway 29 would prove the most age-worthy vintage of their careers. Here’s why.

A dry winter and spring segued into a cool growing season in 2007. Fruit set was average or just below average in Northern California, and well below further south. While the summer and early fall were very dry, there were no significant heat spikes. At harvest the berries were small, with high skin-to-juice ratio. The only concern for the future of the 2007s was with the vintage’s tannins. While concentration was excellent, you had to wonder if the fruit would outdistance the tannins.

But after tasting a number of 2007s a couple years ago, at a special invitation-only tasting in Napa with top sommeliers from New York City and others flown in from Bordeaux, we had those concerns relieved — and then some. Most blue-chip wines on display showed poise, incredible structure, and called for two or more decades of cellaring.

None more so than today’s 2007 Ascent Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Produced for a private client, just before the 2008 financial crisis put the squeeze on a number of trust funds — the bill was never paid. With fruit from an exceptional vineyard on Diamond Mountain (we can’t name names), the would-be owner was primed to release Ascent at $110 per bottle.

Tasted at WineAccess HQ last week, we can vouch it is (or would have been) worth every penny. The 2007 Ascent Diamond Mountain Cabernet is purple-black to the rim. Voluptuous primary-fruit aromas of crushed black and red fruits, dark chocolate, and espresso. Rich, densely packed, and chewy, featuring a silky mix of blackberry, black raspberry, and mountain blueberry preserves, all the opulence of a perfectly kept 2007 buttressed by mouthwatering acidity and polished tannins, giving way to an energetic finish. Drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve over the next 5-7 years.