Larkmead Vineyards Wine at Flickinger Wines

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USA Red

Larkmead Vineyards

2010

Cabernet Sauvignon

$125

WA 95+ (12/2012): Larkmead’s entry-level 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate captivates all of the senses from the very first taste. A huge, opulent yet structured Cabernet, the 2010 shows off tons of richness, power and structure, all while maintaining considerable detail and nuance. Black currants, melted road tar and asphalt blast thorough to the intense, palate-staining finish. I can’t imagine this being ready to drink before its 10th birthday. The 2010 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. This is a great 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.

2011

Cabernet Sauvignon

$99

2012

Cabernet Sauvignon

$145

JS 94 (7/2015): Aromas of currant, blueberry and brick character. Some dried herb too. Full body, firm and racy tannins plus dark berry, dark chocolate and mahogany. Wonderful finish. 94% cabernet sauvignon and the rest petit verdot. Drink or hold.

WA 93+ (10/2014): The soft, delicious, complex 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers notes of cedarwood, blackcurrants, baking spices, Asian soy, crème de cassis, licorice and a touch of graphite. It continues to remind me of a hypothetical blend of a second or third-growth Bordeaux Pauillac with a Napa Valley Cabernet. Composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 54% new French oak, it possesses full body, sweet tannin and should drink well for two decades or more.

VM 93 (12/2014): The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with tons of depth and overall intensity. Graphite, menthol, new leather, smoke, herbs and black fruit are all laced together nicely. Today the tannins are a bit dusty and rough around the edges, but at the same time, the 2012 is nowhere near ready to drink, so there is plenty of time for those contours to soften a touch. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty tannic wine for the year, so patience is key.

WS 86 (7/2015): Well-proportioned if restrained, with spicy, cedary oak and mature-tasting dried currant and red berry, ending with dusty earth and wood. Drink now through 2022. 4,198 cases made.

2012

Cabernet Sauvignon

Tissue-Stained Label

$145

2016

Cabernet Sauvignon

$89

WA 92 (12/2018): A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (White Label) has a deep garnet-purple color and wonderfully pure scents of crushed black currants, black cherries and blackberries with suggestions of menthol, tobacco leaf, wild sage and pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a great core of vibrant black fruits plus plenty of herbal sparks, structured by an approachable grainy backbone and well-knit freshness, finishing long. 3,029 cases were made.

2017

Cabernet Sauvignon

$112

VM 93 (1/2020): The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a real overachiever in its peer group. Wonderfully layered and vibrant, the 2017 is just magnificent. All the elements come together in a sublime, wonderfully nuanced Cabernet. Larkmead ultimately decided not to bottle their Dr. Olmo Cabernet and instead used that wine (which was fabulous from barrel) to improve this blend - which it most certainly did. Antonio Galloni.

JD 92+ (1/2020): Starting with the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, it comes all from the estate in the north part of the valley and is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It has a deep, serious bouquet of scorched earth, graphite, crushed rocks, new saddle leather, and smoked tobacco all ground by a core a ripe dark fruit. With medium to full-bodied richness on the palate, building tannins, and the classic, focused style of the vintage, it's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.

2019

Cabernet Sauvignon

$95

VM 93 (1/2022): The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous introduction to the vintage at Larkmead. Pliant and supple, the Cabernet offers tons of near term appeal. Sweet red cherry, red plum, pomegranate, spice and blood orange infuse the 2019 with layers of nuance and complexity. Best of all the 2019 will drink well with minimal cellaring. Antonio Galloni.

JD 92 (5/2022): The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon sports a ruby/plum hue to go with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of dried herbs, loamy earth, chocolate, and tobacco, as well as both red and black fruits. It’s another elegant, medium to full-bodied wine offreing ripe tannins, good overall balance, and outstanding length.

2010

Firebelle Proprietary Blend

$95

VM 94 (12/2012): The Merlot-based 2010 Proprietary Red Wine Firebelle boasts stunning depth, power and richness. Black cherries, chocolate, spices and new leather explode from the glass in this deep, resonant wine. There is more than enough fruit to fill out the wine’s big, broad-shouldered frame. This is an especially structured vintage for the Firebelle, partly because the Merlot is the lowest ever. Winemaker Andy Smith did a lot of co-ferments with the 2010 to bring all of the elements together. The 2010 is 42% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2030. Antonio Galloni.

JS 94 (5/2014): Intense violets, dark chocolate and berries. Licorice. It's full-bodied with super-integrated tannins and a beautiful silky texture. It's long and fresh. A blend of 42% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon, 13% malbec, 5% petit verdot and 5% cabernet franc.

2013

Firebelle Proprietary Blend

$124

WA 94 (10/2015): The 2013 Firebelle Proprietary Red is a blend of 76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. This wine shows loads of roasted espresso notes mixed with white chocolate, plum, black cherry and currant. The wine is ripe, opulent, full-bodied and a very sexy, lush example of 2013 to drink over the next 15 or more years.

2018

Firebelle Proprietary Blend

$98

VM 92 (1/2021): The 2018 Firebelle (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon) is gracious and beautifully lifted in the glass. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, cedar and tobacco are all laced together in this attractive, mid-weight red. This is an unusually elegant, restrained style for Calistoga, where the wines are often bigger. Savory Cabernet aromatics and the bright acids of 2018 linger. Antonio Galloni.

2012

LMV Salon Proprietary Blend

$155

2013

LMV Salon Proprietary Blend

$135

WA 97 (10/2015): The 2013 Proprietary Red LMV Salon, which is a proprietary red of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Cabernet Franc, is stunning. The Cabernet Franc seems to give this wine a tremendous fragrance, as the opaque purple color offers notes of cedar wood, underbrush, forest floor and spring flowers along with creme de cassis and black cherries. With a full body, ripe texture and moderately high tannins, this wine will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and keep 30-35 years.

2015

LMV Salon Proprietary Blend

$159

VM 92+ (8/2019): Bright medium ruby. Muskier and less exuberant on the nose than the 2015 Solari; a bit lower-toned. Shows excellent punch if not quite the personality and early sex appeal of the Solari, with its plum and spice flavors underpinned by minerality. Not quite the early balance of the Solari, as the wine's serious spine of acids and tannins will require patience. Ultimately a bit drier on the back half. Stephen Tanzer.

JD 94+ (12/2017): A blend of 60/40 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the 2015 LMV Salon is a cuvee that’s moving towards being a Cabernet Franc-dominated release as the estate plants more Cabernet Franc. Cassis, spring flowers, chocolate and a rocky, river bottom-like earthiness all flow to a full-bodied, concentrated, tannic 2015 that has exceptional purity and a great finish. Give bottle 3-5 years and enjoy over the following 15+.

2015

LMV Salon Proprietary Blend (1.5 L)

$375

2017

LMV Salon Proprietary Blend (1.5 L)

$325

WA 92 (12/2019): A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 LMV Salon (White Label) has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is scented of chocolate-covered cherries, fresh blackcurrants, kirsch and black raspberries with touches of bouquet garni, forest floor, charcoal and black olive. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is filled with ripe red and black fruits and a firm, rugged texture, possessing just enough freshness to deliver a long, earth-laced finish. 470 cases were made.

VM 92+ (1/2020): Cabernet Franc, with its bright, high-toned aromatics, takes the lead in the 2017 LMV Salon. Sweet dried red cherry, mint, tobacco and wild flowers are all nicely lifted throughout. Supple and racy with tons of immediacy, the 2017 is already inviting, although it will develop more nuance with time in bottle. Even just a bit of air brings out an attractive fleshiness. Antonio Galloni.

2009

Solari Cabernet Sauvignon

Heavily Bin-Soiled Label

$129

VM 93 (8/2019): Dark red with ruby tones. Aromas of black raspberry, kirsch, mocha and graphite are lifted by a strong floral topnote and complicated by some oaky torrefaction. Plush, rich and deep, with its concentrated black fruit flavors currently muted by a medicinal menthol element. Plenty of texture and sweetness here but the wine is in a somewhat monolithic stage today. The building tannins currently cut off the wine's fruit a bit on the slightly aggressive finish. This bottle suffered by being tasted after the pair of 2010s but its underlying rocky minerality suggests that there's much more to come. Incidentally, Larkmead finished harvesting by the end of September in 2009 and thus escaped the impact of the rainstorms in early October. Stephen Tanzer.

WA 94 (1/2020): Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari charges out of the gate with bold black fruit preserves, notes of blackberry compote, crème de cassis and dried mulberries plus underlying notes of mossy tree bark, tilled soil, camphor and tobacco leaf plus a hint of spice box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rugged frame of chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing on a lingering stewed tea note.

2012

Solari Cabernet Sauvignon

Tissue-Stained Label

$209

WA 99 (10/2014): The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 70% new French oak) is even better than I thought last year. This spectacular wine boasts notes of white chocolate, hot gravel, crème de cassis, blackberries, licorice and forest floor. A subtle smoky barbecue character is noticeable in the background. This is a thrilling, full-bodied, majestic Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 25-30 years, although its tannic structure suggests cellaring it for 2-5 years will be beneficial.

2013

Solari Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin-Soiled Label

$169

JD 96+ (10/2023): The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is clearly on another level, and it too has more than a passing resemblance to a great Bordeaux with its darker currant fruits as well as notes of truffly earth, saddle leather, burning embers, dark chocolate, and smoked tobacco. Deep, powerful, concentrated, and structured, it still has plenty of tannins, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a gorgeous finish. Still closed and almost angular, it probably won't hit full maturity for another 5-7 years.

VM 94+ (8/2019): Deep red-ruby. Pure if somewhat brooding scents of raspberry, currant, licorice and tobacco. Concentrated and tightly wound, showing darker mid-palate fruit than the 2014 Solari as well as considerable power. But there's no shortage of sweetness here. This beauty spreads out to saturate the palate without leaving any impression of heaviness. The red fruit element returns on the ripely tannic finish, which displays lovely retronasal lift, belying its very high pH. This should last very well. Winemaker Petroski described 2013 as "the granddaddy of all vintages, with no soil stress, no heat spikes, no Indian summer." He summarized: "We made our most powerful wines ever." This wine was the highest in total polyphenols of all of the bottles in my double vertical and yet its huge tannins are remarkably integrated. Stephen Tanzer.

WA 96 (10/2015): The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari, which is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot (945 cases), is a huge, massive wine of great intensity, coiled tightly at present, but with high tannins, formidable extract and unlimited upside potential. This is a real connoisseur’s choice, since it needs a good 5-8 years of bottle age. This is a monster effort from the valley floor and should be respected appropriately. Forget it for now. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035+.

2017

Solari Cabernet Sauvignon

$165

VM 94 (1/2020): The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is dark, fleshy and enveloping in feel. Black cherry, plum, tobacco, chocolate, licorice and grilled herbs add myriad shades of complexity, but searing tannins need time in bottle to soften. Pretty floral and savory notes develop in the course of time. The 2017 will reward readers who can wait. Antonio Galloni.

2019

Solari Cabernet Sauvignon

$179

VM 94 (2/2023): The 2019 Solari is powerful and intensely savory in the glass. Dark and explosive, the 2019 is packed with wild cherry, cedar, leather, tobacco, menthol and incense. There's a ton of depth, but the 2019 has never lost the slightly awkward character it showed from bottle. Time brings out the strong savory, earthy inflections that are typical of Larkmead. This is an especially somber wine. Antonio Galloni.

JD 94 (5/2022): The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is a step down over past vintages, yet it still has a full-bodied, rich, impressive style, although it’s surprisingly evolved, with a lighter rim and more savory aromatics. Dark currants, chocolate, smoke tobacco, and dried herbs define the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.

2016

The Lark Proprietary Blend

$275