1990 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow

The 1990 Gravelly Meadow is less well-endowed than the 1991, with a straightforward, simple nose, disjointed flavors, high acidity and dry, hard, nearly astringent tannins. I could not find the fruit and flesh needed to cover its framework. I expected the 1990 and 1991 Cabernets from Diamond Creek to perform better. While they are certainly good, they are much lighter than what one has come to expect from this winery. On several occasions recently I have had the 1978s from Diamond Creek, which are among the greatest Cabernet-based wines I have tasted from anywhere in the world. It is hard to believe these current offerings will ever approach the richness and intensity that this estate's wines exhibited from the seventies to the mid-eighties. Could the wines be going through a temporarily awkward stage, or are they being made in a lighter, more easily accessible style? Given the relatively poor performance of these six wines, and my previous admiration for Diamond Creek Cabernets, I am as mystified as anyone as to what direction this property is headed.