2014 Six Sigma Ranch Diamond Mine Cuvee 750 ml

“Big But Superbly Polished”

The 2014 Six Sigma Diamond Mine Cuvée is the perfect California party wine: Wine Enthusiast called it “big but superbly polished.” A generous blend inspired by Vega Sicilia’s “Unico,” one of Spain’s most revered wines, the Tempranillo and Cabernet essential to both wines positively thrives in the red volcanic soils of Lake County. Winemaker Sandy Robertson has parlayed Six Sigma’s stellar fruit, and his experience working with California legends Merry Edwards and Dan Goldfield, into a round, robust, and structured gem of a red wine. Aged for 18 months in mostly new French oak, the Diamond Mine Cuvée boasts abundant red fruit and spice, balancing brightness, and a long, firm finish. Finding a blend like this in neighboring Napa Valley—from this top vintage and at this price—is not in the cards. A perfect match for grilled meats, BBQ, and rich cheeses, this is a wine to stock by the case, and open on a whim. 

California’s Lake County keeps rising, as savvy wine consumers look to Napa’s neighbor to the north for what is becoming a rarity in California’s marquee wine region: High-quality red wine at a reasonable price. What makes Lake County such a viable option, both for consumers and for the Napa Valley winemakers who bolster their wines with Lake County grapes? It’s simple: Napa Valley Cabernet averages over $7,500 per ton. Lake County grapes cost just a third of that.

The geographical differences between the two regions are nowhere near as stark. The Mayacamas mountains, which create the western ridge of Napa Valley, continue up into Lake County, and the red volcanic soils that are prized in Napa also occur in their neighboring county to the north. As one Lake County winemaker recently told Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle: “The grapes don’t know which county they’re in.”

Napa’s Lake Berryessa is visible from the plateau at Six Sigma’s Diamond Mine Vineyard, which is rich in the red volcanic soil that is ideal for both Tempranillo and Cabernet. And the property’s  elevation—1,700 feet—helps keep wines lively by facilitating extreme diurnal temperature variations: In the weeks leading up to harvest, it’s common for the temperature at Six Sigma to reach 95°F during the day, plummet to 45°F at night, and then rocket back up with the rising sun. The result is grapes that recall the best of Spanish Tempranillo: fabulously ripe and balanced beautifully by generous acidity.

True to the Ribera del Duero style which inspired the Diamond Mine Cuvée, the blend rests in 60 percent new French oak before bottling, which imparts a beautiful cinnamon and spice complexity to the ripe fruit. Coming from Robert Parker’s “Outstanding” North Coast vintage, this wine boasts the ripe fruit, balanced oak, spice and structure that typify wines that fetch twice the price in other regions. This price will have you popping bottles without hesitation—we recommend a case.