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2021 Larkmead Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Removed from a temperature and humidity controlled wine storage unit; Purchased direct from winery

Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

97Wine Enthusiast

...lifted by the addition of aromatic Cabernet Franc, creating a red wine of depth, concentration and persistence... Both red and black fruits intermingle with sage, licorice, coffee grounds and a hint of caramel. Impressive persistence.

95Decanter Magazine (points)

Alluring nose of red currants, black cherry, and pomegranate notes interlaced with cedar spices and nuanced by bright Lilac florals. Medium-bodied with assertive fine-grained tannins that build with intensity as layers of spicy red fruit, saline-scented minerals, and a firm backbone of racy acidity all mount towards an extremely fresh and floral finish.

93Wine Spectator

Red currant, cherry and raspberry coulis notes weave together, along with singed cedar and sandalwood, sanguine and savory accents. Lingering echoes of warm humus and red tea add perfume to the finish. Elegant in style.

93James Suckling

Aromas of blackberries, dark plums, bark and baking spices on the nose, followed by a medium to full body with fine tannins. Well-built and balanced, with a delicious core of berries and wild herbs on a velvety texture. Focused and flavorful finish.

92The Wine Advocate

...ripe cherries and garnishes that with hints of florals and allspice...medium to full-bodied, plush and approachable, with ample concentration and a softly dusty, mocha-tinged finish.

92Vinous / IWC

...a soft, open-knit wine...approachable...endowed with tons of complexity. Black cherry, gravel, spice, new leather, tobacco and scorched earth... Pretty floral top notes lift the finish.

92Jeb Dunnuck

...notes of savory red and black fruits, camphor, loamy earth, and dried tobacco-like nuances. It's textbook Calistoga with its savoriness and minerality, and it s medium-bodied, with an elegant, focused mouthfeel and outstanding length.

16.5Jancis Robinson

Lively, fresh, fairly simple fruit. Sweet start and lots of bite on the end.

PRODUCER

Larkmead Vineyards

Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga was founded in 1948 by Bruno Solari and his wife Polly. Bruno was the son of Tuscan immigrants and after graduating from UC Berkeley in 1933, he bought the vineyards that would become Larkmead and also worked as president of United Vintners, which owned Inglenook, Beaulieu and Italian Swiss Colony. Bruno continued to work as a wine industry executive during his life and Polly ran the estate. Today Larkmead includes 113 acres of vineyards planted to seven kinds of grapes and it is still operated by descendants of Bruno and Polly Solari. Larkmead’s wines are 100% estate grown. The estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cab Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and several blends. The Wine Advocate generally rates the estate’s wines in the mid to high-90s, and notes that Larkmead “has enjoyed a reputation for high quality for well over a century.”

REGION

United States, California, Napa Valley

Napa Valley AVA is the most famous winemaking region in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. With nearly 43,000 acres of vineyards and more than 300 wineries, it is the heart of fine wine production in the United States. Winemaking started in Napa in 1838 when George C. Yount planted grapes and began producing wine commercially. Other winemaking pioneers followed in the late 19th century, including the founders of Charles Krug, Schramsberg, Inglenook and Beaulieu Vineyards. An infestation of phylloxera, an insect that attacks vine roots, and the onset of Prohibition nearly wiped out the nascent Napa wine industry in the early 20th century. But by the late 1950s and early 1960s Robert Mondavi and other visionaries were producing quality wines easily distinguishable from the mass-produced jug wines made in California’s Central Valley. Napa Valley’s AVA was established in 1983, and today there are 16 sub-appellations within the Napa Valley AVA. Many grapes grow well in Napa’s Mediterranean climate, but the region is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is also very successfully cultivated, and about 30% of the AVA’s acreage is planted to white grapes, with the majority of those grapes being Chardonnay,

TYPE

Red Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.

VINTAGE

2021 Larkmead Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon