I have been very lucky to be able to take part in some virtual tastings throughout the pandemic. My favourite one took place in October when I had the opportunity to taste the Double Diamond wines from Schrader. Double Diamond is the “entry level” to Schrader, but frankly these wines are anything but. The bottles and tech sheets say that the wines are from the Oakville appellation in the Napa Valley, but during the tasting we were informed that 90% of the fruit used to make these wines come from the legendary To Kalon vineyard.
In 2018, I visited the Robert Mondavi winery and got an opportunity to spend some time tasting several wines from the vineyard. So far in 2020 I have also been fortunate enough to taste a few wines from To Kalon, and from Oakville. These wines are teeming with fruit, with tannin that is firm, but buried. Needless to say wines from this appellation are usually meant to spend some time in a cellar before being ready to drink.
So, when I opened both the 2017 and 2018 vintages of Double Diamond I was pleasantly surprised with how soft these wines feel on the palate. Each sip deeper into the bottle never brought that firm edge of tannin I was expecting. Here are my thoughts on the individual wines
2017 Double Diamond – ****+ – Cassis is practically leaping out of the glass before you even raise it to your face. The moment the first sip hits your tongue it’s like an explosion of fruit… But wait… there is restraint, acidity, and a cedar note that brings up the rear. The texture on the palate is also restrained compared to the aromas. The tannin is soft with just a bit of an edge on the finish – but an hour in a decanter should take the edge right off this wine. There is no doubt that this is a great gateway to taste the Oakville appellation. While this is designed to be enjoyed young I would hold onto this wine for 5-7 years to allow it to soften.
2018 Double Diamond – ****½ – I thought the 2017 was impressive… but 2018 stands a few inches taller. Cassis, Cherry, Blackberry, and a whisper of Clove leaps out of the glass. On the palate this delivers everything I hoped to find from the nose and follows through with the intensity I expect from Oakville Cab. The juicy fruit fills your mouth from cheek to cheek and the tannin is silk on the back palate. The texture on this wine is really damned close to perfection. An hour in a decanter should make this wine ready to rock if you’re enjoying it in 2020-2022 – but beyond it should be an outstanding gateway to killer Napa Cab from 2023-2030
