2017 Vista Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain Napa Valley 750 ml

At 8 a.m. on a recent August morning, we stood with Vista Reserve owner Grant Long Jr., looking down on a sea of fog from one of the highest points in Diamond Mountain District. Perfect rows of Cabernet Sauvignon stretched out before us, then disappeared into a blanket of white. “Imagine drinking this place,” Grant said, as he breathed deeply. 

Grant, who is also the owner and winemaker of premium labels Aonair and Reverie, had taken us to the source of his 2017 Vista Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, an estate that has reached the pinnacle of Diamond Mountain in more ways than one. Its muscular Cabernet Sauvignons sell for over $100, and routinely pull down scores of 95 points and above from the likes of Robert Parker and Antonio Galloni. Grant had contracted several extra barrels from their outstanding 2017 vintage to craft a small quantity of his first-ever Diamond Mountain release.

“The price was beyond right—they’re friends of mine,” Grant told us, “and I decided to make it just a little more right for my first ever vintage. Do you think your buyers will like that?” Grant asked us, with a grin as wide as the Valley. 

“Yeah, probably,” we chuckled. 

As part of the remarkable deal Grant got on this Cabernet, he agreed not to mention the name of his friends’ heralded estate. Similarly, we promised we would only allude to its greatness without giving specifics. But more important than any accolades—of which there are many—we’ll simply say that the wine that resulted is the real deal. Complex and powerful, with chewy Diamond Mountain tannins serving up rich blackberry and black plum tinged with lilac and violet, trending to sweet spice and tobacco in its savory depths. 

Leave it to Grant to come up with an irresistible offer. A Napa native who made his first barrel of wine as a teenager (in his parents’ garage), Grant is at the helm of two of Napa’s hottest brands, Aonaire and Reverie. While those wines tiptoe near triple-digit price tags, sky-high quality is the common denominator across his entire portfolio. 

The extraordinary Diamond Mountain view that stretched out in front of us a few weeks ago was expressed in the glass as captivating, juicy dark fruit, buoyed by high altitude freshness and anchored by earth notes and rugged mountain tannins. The signature of Diamond Mountain is as unmistakable as the premium quality of the fruit. Today Wine Access members get the very first shot at this extraordinary new release. Thanks to Grant for trusting us with this incredible offer.