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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.6 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 79 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Bluethunder on 5/7/2024 & rated 94 points: Decanted and drank over several hours. Consistent with prior note. Outstanding full bodied wine with dark lush fruit, cassis and chocolate. (205 views) | | | Tasted by Bluethunder on 3/1/2024 & rated 94 points: Full-bodied, with Lots of dark lush black fruit, touch of chocolate, tobacco, cedar. A powerful wine with many years left. (331 views) | | | Tasted by bobh22314 on 2/25/2023 & rated 95 points: Orange at the rim. Huge up front black fruit with a mineral element Some tannins still remaining Lush with a medium long finish.
Drink now or over the next few years (1207 views) | | | Tasted by wirelesswine on 12/17/2022 & rated 95 points: A really great bottle. Put this in a California lineup with an 05 Insignia and a 10 Mondavi Oakville reserve. All had their own unique aspects and all were showing very well - as for the Larkmead, the wine was dark and structured but totally open for business - the tannins were round, and the acidity kept this vibrant as the currant and blackberry flavors persisted and lingered. Just a hint of toasty secondary notes - the oak is so well integrated on this right now. (1406 views) | | | Tasted by ledocq on 12/11/2022 & rated 95 points: One of my WOTY - never overwhelming or overdone, but still full bodied and powerful. And it was great from the start but just kept developing length and nuance. A step above the basic 2010, and nowhere near done yet. Possibly at peak - in any case, no harm giving it a try. (1596 views) | | | Tasted by yeti575rider on 9/25/2022 & rated 92 points: Last bottle. Paired with filet. Nice but was hoping to get back to early peak but it didn’t really get there. Dark currant with some coffee and earthy notes. Not overly secondary but fruit seems slightly faded / washed out to me which brought score down slightly. (1617 views) | | | Tasted by lewisrise on 9/3/2022 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 2 1/2 hours and it evolved throughout the whole time. Dark ruby with Garnet edges and medium plus developed aromas of blackberry, black currant, violets, cedar, tobacco, nutmeg, and vanilla. On the palate the dark fruits dominate along with tobacco and nutmeg and cocoa on a very long finish. This wine is clearly peeking and may improve over the next couple of years. (1474 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 5/20/2022 & rated 94 points: Opened, but not decanted for about an hour before pouring, as part of a Napa Cabernet night at a steakhouse with my wine group. For most of us, this was the 2nd favorite of the night. Good spice notes, subdued fruit and a medium-long finish. Very enjoyable. We had this alongside a 2012 O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain and a 2014 Realm Farella. (1236 views) | | | Tasted by DoubleMagnum on 5/19/2022 & rated 92 points: Blackcurrant, black cherry, tobacco and sweet spices on the nose. Velvety on the palate, medium acidity, medium plus amount of extract, tannins are there but barely noticeable. Alcohol is slightly noticeable. Long finish. This was second place for me tonight. It should also age for another decade easily. (1147 views) | | | Tasted by mdvillaverde on 4/27/2022 & rated 93 points: Consistent with past note but slightly more enjoyable. (1138 views) | | | Tasted by Elkcims on 1/24/2022 & rated 95 points: Full bodied, savory, blackberry, cedar, forest floor, lots of structure and will only get better. 3-4 hours slow ox first night, re-bottled half and gave it another 1-2 hours of air the next. Best on Day 2. (1399 views) | | | Tasted by mdvillaverde on 1/2/2022 & rated 92 points: 14.7% abv. I let it breathe for a few hours in the glass before enjoying. This is what I have in mind when I think of A rustic wine. Licorice and cedar notes. Midly drying finish. (1304 views) | | | Tasted by phattyjrb on 12/30/2021 & rated 95 points: Absolutely silky and outstanding (1163 views) | | | Tasted by beau11 on 12/29/2021 & rated 96 points: This wine is in a good spot after a 30 min decant. Blackberries, mocha, spice, earth and some limestone are present. Really tasty and puts on weight overtime, which indicates there are years left. That said you wont be disappointed now. (1151 views) | | | Tasted by Genghis88 on 11/4/2021 & rated 93 points: Huge, inky wine
Thanks Cabbie.
Oak, dark fruit, some herbs
Massive wine. This kicks you int he face. Needs time but this juice is delicious. Great juice!
Tomahawk steaks! @Ancora restaurant #GebNation dinner (1556 views) | | | Tasted by bigredPA on 7/24/2021 & rated 94 points: A gorgeous and vibrant wine, especially for its age. Inticing notes of black currant, black berry, wonderfullly integrated cigar and earthy notes, with a touch of spice. Bravo (1751 views) | | | Tasted by Tym4wine on 7/24/2021 & rated 93 points: Floral violet aromas. Deep dark burgandy in the glass to the edge. Dark blackberry flavors with a hint of cola. Tannins are still tight and grippy and provide structure to the wine. Medium+ finish. Still has ample time in the bottle. (1995 views) | | | Tasted by George Lopez on 4/10/2021 & rated 95 points: Really delicious wine that we drank with dinner after a four hour decant. Lots of complexity in this wine. We enjoyed it with tenderloin and roasted potatoes. Drink up! (1898 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundio on 3/16/2021 & rated 98 points: Of around 20 high-end wines I drink each year, which I select based on cellartracker/parker/vinous/Jeff reviews (avg score of 95 and above), only 2~3 provide the perfect balance and taste profile in my book. One of them was the larkmead solari 2010. I will admit a lot of the wines I had were only 5~10 years of age when consumed and not at peak drinking age. Conclusion: Great wine. (1895 views) | | | Tasted by pkouchu on 1/27/2021 & rated 95 points: blackberries, red cherries, black raspberries, brown spice, tobacco, mocha, toasted oak, vanilla, and cassis.
Ripe fruit, rich and creamy mid-palate, warm spice, smooth tannins and nice acidity. I think 2010 in general is pretty well balanced. Really enjoyed this wine although it lacked the intensity of the 09 Solari (2146 views) | | | Tasted by EMTAME on 9/16/2020 & rated 94 points: Good, but not measurably better than the regular Larkmead cab, to my palate. (2578 views) | | | Tasted by yeti575rider on 7/9/2020 & rated 93 points: Open nose more to red fruited side with some accompanying spice notes. Black currant palate with some dark chocolate. Decanted 1 hour more to filter sediment than anything. Very nice wine but have to admit was hoping for a bit more. My impression of this wine has gone down slightly over time. (2241 views) | | | Tasted by JHalvorson on 4/11/2020 & rated 95 points: Decanted for an hour before enjoying with hamburgers during the Covid-19 shelter in place lockdown. A real wow with hints of blueberry coming through the red fruit notes. Delightful (2144 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 1/21/2020 & rated 95 points: The nose was dark and rich, showing confectionery and brown spices up front, giving way to licorice and mint leaf, with hints of burnt orange and plum sauce. On the palate, I found velvety textures with depths of cool-toned ripe black fruit, balanced by stimulating acids, as sweet spices and inner violet florals lingered on the senses. The finish was long and structured with classically refined tannin and a coating of raspberry fruit. The ‘10 really packs a punch up front, yet paints within the lines, and hits the palate with all of the class and refinement that you could possibly ask for. What a gorgeous wine. (2595 views) | | | Tasted by domco on 7/1/2019: Opened for C's Bday. Decanted and let sit for an hour before diving in. Just entering a sweet spot for us... still a lot of dark fruit but any rough edges have been smoothed out and some tertiary notes just starting to peak through. Guessing will still go a number of years but in a very nice window right now. (2580 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vintage Retrospective: The 2010 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2020) (5/1/2020)
(Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Larkmead’s Solari Cabernet and LMV Salon: 2001-2015 (Aug 2019) (8/1/2019)
(Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Elin McCoy
Decanter, EM Larkmead tasting (5/30/2019)
(Larkmead Vineyards, Solari, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Californian Cabernet 2010 (10/10/2018)
(Larkmead Vineyards, Solari, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Vinous Event: 2010 Napa Valley at the NoMad Rooftop (Jun 2015) (4/1/2015)
(Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: An Epic Vintage (Dec 2012)
(Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2012, IWC Issue #162
(Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Napa Valley (Dec 2011)
(Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Calistoga) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Larkmead Vineyards Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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