Recently we had the pleasure to visit Constant Vineyard standing high above the Napa Valley on the summit of Diamond Mountain.
You know that you are going to a special place as the breathtaking drive takes you up 2100 feet. When you finally arrive at the winery, you feel like an eagle landing on top of the magnificent Napa Valley enjoying the sensational 360-degree vistas. The unique microclimate at the very top of Diamond Mountain provides grapes with optimal sun exposure and elongated ripening periods, providing perfect conditions for the CONSTANT Winery team to make exceptional wines-----Which they Do!
Fred and Mary Constant purchased the vineyard in 1993. The
land was overgrown and wild. Fred and Mary worked diligently to clear the land
and re-establish the vineyard which had been neglected since prohibition in the
20’s and 30’s. They hired renowned architect Howard Backen to build a stunning
house overlooking the valley floor with a full view of Mount St. Helena. The first released vintage
is from 1995 under the name CONSTANT Diamond Mountain Vineyard, with winemaker
Philippe Melka at the helm. The current consulting winemaker is Paul Hobbs,
whose first vintage with CONSTANT was in 2009. In 2016, Aries Liu and
Sai You became the property’s owners.
Our knowledgeable host was Amber Brandner who bubbles with
extensive wine knowledge. She chose 5 great wines for us to taste paired with a
variety of cheeses, smoked almonds and olive oil made on-site. Paul Hobbs the current consulting winemaker and Kevin
Vecchiarelli the CONSTANT winemaker, use their vast knowledge to craft world
class wines. Our tasting included 2011 Cabernet Franc, 2015 Claret,
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Syrah. The food
friendly old-world wines were all great. We especially
liked the 2015 Claret. This powerful silky-smooth wine was a ‘perfect’
blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%Cabernet Franc and 16% Merlot. We enjoyed it
so much a few bottles came back to Danville with us.
Having been to many of Napa’s 600 wineries (400and
counting), we would highly recommend that you visit this unique winery proudly
perched on top of Diamond Mountain overlooking the beautiful Napa Valley.
For more information and to make an appointment go to:https://www.constantwine.com
For more information and to make an appointment go to:https://www.constantwine.com
