Wow - opened this up and let it decant for 4 hours while cooking dinner. A little muted on the nose but really opened up with time and it lingered on the palate with notes of porcini and lovely sweet berries on the finish. Paired with buttermilk brined Roast Turkey, Crown Roast of Lamb w italian sausage and cranberry stuffing and Mushroom Wellington - it went down a treat!
Looking at my last tasting note I'm hoping it was a one off and I look forward to the other 9 or so in my cellar over the coming years.
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Brought to a restaurant, decanted for a half-hour. Excellent Napa valley floor Cab, nice balance, youthful but not too young; drinking well now, but will likely improve with time, so drink or hold.
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Tignt tart nose and on the palate; dark black fruit, blackberry but some blue berry, tight pencil lead, heavy oak with hints of tobacco. Perhaps this is not the best bottle, but it did not taste corked. We hope the rest are better.
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Cassis, blackberry, plum, sweet tobacco, graphite, vanilla, toasted oak. Medium-plus body. Tannins well integrated. A bit fruity/sweet. Really good. Went well with steak. Ready now but no rush either.
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Thought it might be a little early to drink this '12, but had a couple more so was curious how it was progressing along.... and was more than pleasantly surprised!!
This was pretty ready to go at PnP.... and with a few hours of Slow Ox, this really came into its own.
Was enjoying this at the HBowl, so no real ability to take any notes.. but this was primarily black fruit driven, great mouthfeel and tannin, nice finish. Was not super complex at this point but was past just the primary notes.. and had a great secondary...and think theres a decent chance for this to improve some with more cellar time.
Dont be shy to pop one now.. but think there's some better things to come for those that can wait a bit more... Cheers!!
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Third of an auction lot of 3, and not much I can add to my note of just over a year ago. Singing off the pour, this is a wine in full, with vibrant fruit and potent tannins and acidity working in perfect harmony, with just enough separateness to keep things interesting. Held well over 3 nights indicating that, while this is bang on in its drinking window, it should have years to go at this level (my window is 4 years longer than CT’s). Great with red sauce pasta and also on its own. Really elegant, and even if it doesn’t have quite the sophistication and complexity of LM’s more expensive Cabs and blends, quite great at $100- (I was thankfully well minus, as I’ve been for all vintages of this bottling). Bravo, Dan Petroski! 95 if scoring.
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Heady aromas of black currant with menthol and camphor. Dense palate with well integrated tannins and dark fruit flavors. Nice finish with a bit of tobacco on the retro nasal.
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Part of a 2012 Napa Cabernet tasting. While I liked it, I was disappointed, as I expected to like it much more, based on experiences with previous Larkmead Cabs. It was opened, but not decanted for over 45 minutes before pouring. I had it 3rd (out of 3), behind the 2012 Hayfork Lewelling Vineyard, the 2012 Caymus. Medium bodied, medium length finish.
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Used some for cooking pot roast, and it was NOT a waste; the added flavors were complex and wonderful. This is a very attractive Cab, with fine tannins, hints of cedar, and a lovely balance of fruit and oak. Young, but eminently drinkable now.
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Packed with sweet and dark black currant fruit. It is still a young wine but it has certainly opened up nicely. There is still a decent balance due to the high acidity and it is clearly an expressive wine with much to offer. It does need 2-3 hours of decanting to open.
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Best showing to date, age is helping this along. Optimistic that continued improvement & maturity is on the horizon. Dark purple colored. Fruitful nose that was easy to identify and enjoy as the bottle was decanted. Dark berry, black cherry, cinnamon/spice and dark cocoa flavors. Medium + finish. Integrated tannins that have significantly resolved over time.
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Second bottle of 3, and what a difference 32 months makes! As I noted then, this wine was full of potential, but obtrusive tannins seemed to outweigh the positives (91), even after a long decant and a few nights of being open. This time, this was pretty much singing out of the bottle, and after 45 minutes of air, I recorked it as I drank. Lovely notes of moderately powerful black and other dark berries backed by earthy minerality, sweet spice, soy, dark chocolate and graphite. Now immaculately balanced, this medium-bodied cab has that Bordeaux quality, by turns elegant and a bit rustic, more savory than sweet, stellar with a fillet, but with more than enough elegance to shine on its own, putting it solidly ahead of the recent, excellent Col D’Orcia. Perfectly resolved, this seems to be at its peak, but figures to have a good bit of time before dropping off. I’ve had mixed feelings about the handful of Dan Petroski wines I’ve had, but this one is firing on all cylinders right now, making me feel good about the prospects for the Solari and Dr. Olmo currently peacefully sleeping in my collection. 94-95+
In a great spot for drinking now, with two hours in the decanter. Makes me miss Larkmead, which used to be my favorite winery. Used to be on the list and had a bunch in the cellar. Then the prices went way up and I had to say goodbye. Down to just one bottle now.
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A beautiful wine! Opened up in 45 minutes. Lovely nose of herbs and dark fruit. Taste had flavors of blackberry and cassis with beautiful integrated tannins leaving a long finish of cocoa and dark fruit. A unique wine - not jammy and great for those that like enticing tannins.
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Gave this an hour decant - in a good spot now and ready to drink.
Smooth tannins and fruit with flavors of dark cherry, currants and chocolate. Finish was not overly complex, but an enjoyable wine for a summer cookout with the family.
Larkmead is a nice wine and was previously a good buy until several years ago, back when you could get for ~$70. At the current price point, there are better wines, but still a nice enjoyable wine.
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Bam, there is the Larkmead I love. Finally this is hitting on all cylinders. Currant with the acidity to bring in the blackberry I love. And the finish is now dialed in - has that Larkmead signature gravelly finish but with no bitterness. Can still taste this as I write the note at halftime of Super Bowl. Excellent.
Has softened some since prior bottle, but still easily a few years left. Drinking really well with about 30 minutes of air. Didn’t increase our score since last bottle but it is solidly a 92.
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Similar to my note from October, although this may have more aging potential than I originally thought. Not sure about the CT drinking window through 2031, but 2027 seems realistic. I’m halfway through a six-pack and should wait a few years before opening another bottle.
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Waited six years and a one hour decant before tasting my first 2012 Larkmead Cab...and despite my patience, it was still tightly wound with active tannins along with dark blackberry fruit. The Cab has distinct notes of currant, violet, dark chocolate and cola on the palate with a hint of licorice on the finish. While this is clearly a well made wine, think this needs more time to fully enjoy.
Decanted for 90 minutes. Dark and dense with black fruit, cola, a little thyme, a little char, and a moderate tannic backbone that is persistent but not unpleasant. There’s some room for this wine to evolve, but it’s devoid of acid which makes me wonder how long it will hold together. Good with food (Japanese Eggplant with roasted tomatoes and garlic bread tonight), but not much excitement as a solo.
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Deep ruby red. Dark nose with cocoa, anise, black cherries, oak, spiced and blackberries. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Layered palate with black berries, cinnamon, tobacco and a bit of wood. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2037.
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Lost the alcohol that was dominant in 2019 when I tasted this so that was good. Fruit still good but tannins have softened a lot. Typical Cab nose. Lots of spice, chocolate and currants. Tannins became more present in the 2nd half of the bottle but still soft. Decanted 90 minutes. Probably only needs 30 minutes. Thought this bottle was just average and not really worth the $89 paid. QPR isn’t good IMO. Fairly one dimensional. Some layers of flavors but I expect much more at this price point. Probably not a wine I would seek out or buy again because of the price point.
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Agree with others that this is in a good spot right now. I have had the '09 and '10 vintages of this wine and I feel like the fruit has faded significantly. That was not the case with this vintage right now - still plenty of fruit left. Decanted for about 2 hours before consumption, and it needed at least one hour before it was drinking well (based on sampling).
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Hopefully this was a one-off but we brought it up to temp and poured in glass and left for an hour. Muted notes in the nose and taste but it was still pretty good - I was expecting more. Then, around halfway through the bottle the wine went quickly downhill and became very veggie and unpleasant in taste. Came back to the same to bottle the next day and it was the same. odd experience, may leave this for a while before coming back
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This one blew me away. It has come a long way in two years. Real concrete fist in velvet glove stuff. A finish that reminds me of Piedmont. Enjoyed with a Coronavirus-inspired webinar for the winery’s 125th anniversary.
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This wine has evolved & now is hitting its stride. Past encounters this was tight with hidden fruit. Dark berries, cassis, dark cherry & chocolate flavors with a medium finish.
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A delicious cab from the valley floor of the wine centre of the New World. Beautiful blackberry and cassis fruit, fine and nicely integrated tannins, lightly perfumed bouquet, and a long finish. Napa cab from Calistoga expressing the virtues of this heavenly piece of Terra firma.
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This ripe and balanced wine has finally found its groove, with incredible fruit, structure, and integration. I've followed this wine from its grippy youth (2/16 - 93 points) to its promising adolescence (4/17 - 94 points) through many other bottles (that I never wrote up)... but this tastes like maturity. I've been opening a lot of Napa 2012s lately - such a lovey vintage right now - and this is one of my favorites, especially in its price range.
Dark purple in color and full in body (2% milk), the wine offers enticing aromas of blueberry skins, cocoa beans, and dried herbs. Tastes of black currant, black cherry, thyme, and anise, with a symphonic finish that brings a rush of fruit, tannin, and acidity all at once (really: think of the fourth movement of any symphony worth its salt; this finish has that kind of rollicking, integrative, and cumulative feeling). This was more generous and silky than a 2012 Bond Matriarch tasted on the same night. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. 14.7% alcohol. Watch the sediment, of which there is plenty. Decant at least an hour. Drink in next few years.
Decanted two hours and drank over the next hour. Pretty alcoholic..14.7% Fairly integrated but you still get the heat. Nice flavor layers of red fruits, tobacco, chocolate, spice box and currants. Still young. Will probably hold my remaining bottle another year or two.
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Decanted for two hours then consumed over two nights. A week ago I was disappointed with this wine, but this bottle was so much better offering dusty and soft ripe fruit wrapped around an impressive acid core. Lovely both nights. I guess the previous bottle was a lazy runt of the litter.
Decanted for 4 hours, returned to the bottle, then consumed over 2 nights. This wine seemed to be struggling to be worthy of its price point over both nights. Anxious, unsettled. Maybe I caught it at a bad time, but it just never delivered.
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Opened in Aug 2019. Popped and poured. Nice nose with some aging - red berry still there but leather and cacao showing. Taste of sweeter bing cherry, cedar and chocolate.
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Beautiful wine with soft red fruits, a touch of oak and proper acidity to balance. Personally with it was a little more fruit forward but really enjoyable.
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Very strong medicinal aromas and sandalwood surround a core of dark fruit. Palate is very well balanced with deep currant flavors and cherry highlights and really nice tension and gritty tannins. Finish is about 30-45 seconds. I will probably keep the other one I have another 2-3 years before consuming but it’s great now.
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First of 3 from an auction lot purchased a few months ago (abt$70@). Decanted for about an hour. Muted nose of cherry with a bit of earthy minerality and spices. Small first taste, whoa! Like being hit over the head by a 2'x4'. Very hot and big, rough tannins. About another hour and a half later, the integration had started. Medium dark color, medium to full bodied, strong legs. The tannins are still powerful and very present, but have rounded. Moderate acidity. A very present and not unpleasing note on the backend of scorched earth (could also be described as gravel or asphalt; my taste buds aren't so refined so as to distinguish). At this point, not a lot of the secondary notes I often like in cabs such as licorice, chocolate, coffee or mint/eucalyptus, but perhaps they will develop over the time and the fruit may become more vibrant. The wine has in impressive minerality, and the elements are certainly there for a mid 90s wine. I think that this wine, even after a lengthy decant, is still probably 2-5 years away from full potential, and could hold that for many more, so I'll leave my other 2 bottles for a couple of years. Good complement to rack of lamb.
Planned to drink with GoT finale. Unfortunately I apparently dehydrated myself from my bike ride earlier and got the worst leg cramp of all time mid sip. My wife gladly finished bottle while I ate bananas and drank water and gatorade the rest of the time.
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We brought this bottle to Mancini's, an old fashioned steak house in St. Paul. It was perfect with the steaks. Very ready to drink when allowed to breath in the glass for awhile.
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A definite step up from prior cabs, where ive been a bit disappointed in the lack of fruit/balance in other vintages. Decanted and drank over 3 hours. More aroma and a more flavor than previous lark cabs. Nice depth to the flavor across the midpalate. Tannins are softening but there is enough structure here for years. Decided a few years back to give my larkmeads more age and if this is any indication, that was a good decision.
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Purple to cherry at the rim. Dark fruits with an earthy undertone on the nose. Lush black fruit up front tannins kicking in to as the wine crosses the pallet to a 15 to 20 second finish. Starting to come together as a wine rather than fermented grape juice. Still needs another year or two. Will try a couple of bottles over Xmas with company then wait another year or so
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1 hour decant probably wasn't enough but no complaints, this really sang from the uncorking onward. Aroma exploded from the glass, a great bouquet of red and black fruits. On the palate, a rush of luxuriously smooth dark red and black fruits, amazing concentration without being jammy. The winery's tasting note said something about crushed gravel and I didn't get that at all. Unfortunately the bottle went much too quickly. Often I try to keep some for the next day so I can see its evolution but that was not possible with this one.
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Not exceptional, but not too bad either. It has some depth and doesn't have high tannins, which is nice, but I wasn't getting anything special here. In the past, I think Larkmead wines showed a little more depth and complexity.
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Gave it about two hours of air. Deep red/purple hues. Decent nose. Medium to full bodied smooth integrated wine with dark red and blue fruit. Decent finish. Drank during the week and probably should be enjoyed over a weekend with some time to kill and a big piece of beef.
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Medium nose with pleasant currant notes, petit verdot showing through, tannins still present but not over powering. Kept thinking over 2 days of sipping, very enjoyable classic Napa cab. Didn't change appreciably over the 2 day stretch. Many choices out there at this price point.
Decided to revisit from around a year ago. Black and dark red fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration and nice flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little chocolate. However, I thought the finish was somewhat lacking - fairly short and not much depth. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time. Drank next to a 2015 Quivet napa cab and surprisingly I thought the Quivet was quite a bit better - fuller flavors and longer/deeper finish. Although prices throughout Napa have obviously increased over the years, I thought Larkmead’s wines were a nice value when you could pick-up their entry level cab for around $50 but at the current price point I believe there are better options. Once again, 94% cab and 6% petit verdot.
This wine is drinking fabulously this year, cracked (and of course could not help but drink) a 375 to get an indication of the disposition of the bulk of the order - leather and vanilla accompany a load of black fruit with baking spices evident at the finish. If you are hoping to finally identify what gravel might taste like, this wine can give you a consistant opportunity at every velvety sip.
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Big full bodied cherry to purple. Soft tannins medium to long finish Tons of fruit with the minerality typical of larkmead Still plenty of time on this one Will try again in another year
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Drank this as part of a 2012, 2013 and 2014 vertical. The 2012 was the most integrated and ready to drink of the three. It has deep dark berry, earth and a bit of smoke, with a long pleasing finish. The 2013 was the most powerful, although still a bit disjointed and not fully developed yet. In 3-5 years, this will be spectacular. The 2014 was a little disappointing, at least compared to the 2012 and 2013. It was a bit thin, and missing something. Perhaps in some time, this will also improve.
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Deep dark fruit, blackberry and chocolate. The nose was not expressive, but opened with air. This clearly got better over the night, the tannins are tight and the finish impressive. I agree wth previous notes that this needs more time in the bottle to fully come together.
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Deep and dark ruby red with a purplish hue. Layered nose with dark cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco, and dark berries. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Dark bitter cocoa on the attack with cassis, blackcurrants and black cherries. Thick all around with sweet spices too. Dry and long finish. Big and bold wine, will drink well for up to a decade. Drink till 2027. (93+)
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Battle of Larkmead in OBX. Had this up against the 2012 Rivers Marie Calistoga (which I believe is now an "Olmo" block). I had this slightly behind as it was first for the 3 or the 4 of us. My wife preferred this as it is more consistent with the Larkmead profile carrying a bit more earthiness in a Bordeaux way. I liked the finish of the RM better since it carried more fruit but the wines are still much more similar than different. Looking forward to tracking the development of my remaining bottles.
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Drank this way too young. Opened the bottle hours before drinking, poured glasses through aerator ~90 minutes before meal and left in glass to decant. Smooth and enjoyable, but dense, unpacked and did not "dance" with the food. Left a glass out for another 2 hours and it was just *starting* to open up. There was a very pronounced flavor of black currant, a little bit of earth and silky tannins.
Addendum: day 2 and its drinking as I recall it from our visit to the Vineyard. Luxardo cherry, currants, sweet tobacco and earth. Wine was fully open, plush and grabbed on to everything we ate with it (including Mediterranean shrimp). Paired particularly well with shitake mushrooms sauteed in cream sherry on top of filet mignon grilled w/ black pepper and salt.
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This wine has rounded out and deepened in the 14 months since I tasted it last (93 points - 2/16). Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, spice, and gravel. Tastes of black cherry, plum, cedar, and graphite, with less pepper and more dark chocolate on the finish. The tannins have subsided considerably, and the finish has added a pleasant sweetness, where before it was more grippy and dry. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. 14.7% alcohol. I'll wait to open my next bottle until 2018, when I think this will be near its peak, but it has definitely entered its drinking window.
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Dark black and red fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved with time but I believe this vintage could use another year or two for the fruit to open-up a little more. 94% cab and 6% petit verdot.
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Soft and elegant, like a lot of Larkmead. Feels like more of an Old World approach, and I dig that. Fruit is there, but not screaming, well integrated with the tannins. Popped and poured it, so I suspect it would have developed even more with a little more air time.
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Decanted & let sit for three hours before enjoying with a cheese plate. Dark purple colored, balanced - but the fruit seemed to be somewhat masked. Enjoyable, but I expected more - hopefully more cellar time allows the fruit to come out. Note to self - revisit in '19-'20.
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Some sediment in the bottle. I get mostly fruit on the nose, more dark than red. On the palate, berries dominate again, but you also get some cedar and pencil lead. Nice acidity and tannins. Good balance. Quite nice right now, but you can tell it is only going to get better with more time in the bottle. Wait two years to drink the next bottle.
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Decanting will produce a more enjoyable experience, this one is still a little tight. Day 2 considerably better showing soft, appealing, composite elements on the palate. Hints of wood, cedar, anise, and cassis. This wine is focused and shows elegance. It is amazing how Larkmead Cabs evolve with time. In the beginning, this wine seemed to be thin and flat. That is not the case anymore with the 2012 vintage. Unfortunately, the wine is overpriced.
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An impressive young Cabernet that is starting to hit its stride. Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blackberry and graphite. Tastes of black cherry, boysenberry, licorice, pepper, and gravel, with a grippy and tannic finish showing the youth of the wine. 14.7% alcohol. I will wait until 2017 if I can help it. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.
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Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): A nice peppery tone hits the nose on this one -- something that I really like and look for in a cabernet. Dense and sweet, with tannins that aren't too abrasive and brash, although this is simply too low in acid to be enjoyable for more than a few sips.
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Not as good as my last sampling and seemed rather shut down and a bit dull. Fruit (currant and plum) was rather muted. Some menthol and earthiness on the palate giving it more of a Bordeaux like finish which would be good if the accompanying fruit was there. Was waiting to try it again the next day but my wife unfortunately finished the bottle without sharing. Scoring as it tastes today and hoping more time will do these good. Didn't seem overly tannic so that doesn't seem to be the issue. Perhaps just a somewhat flawed bottle but too minor to really notice.
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A friendly enough Cabernet with notes of plum, red currant, and some cedar/forest floor underpinnings. The mid-palate receives a generous coating of classic Cabernet flavors, but falls just a bit short for me on the back end. Not an extraordinarily memorable Cabernet overall, but still delivered the requisite goods at the end of the day.
A wine ready to drink now and over the next 5+ years. Perhaps age will help this fatten up a bit more, but I'm not entirely confident that time in bottle will ultimately improve this wine beyond what it is kicking out currently. A good entry level Cabernet with a QPR that is only so-so given comparables out there in the Napa Cabernet world that deliver similar satisfaction.
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Delicious! It is too bad that the cost of their standard Napa Cabernet is at the $125 price point. I have 4 bottles left and I will enjoy them. There are Cabs out there that are just as good (or better) for less money. I have enjoyed these wines, but they have priced themselves out of my league at this time. Too bad. WS gives this vintage 86 Points? I don't like the price gouge, but this wine is one of best Napa Valley Cab's I have tasted from them. I'll say it once more, too bad Larkmead..... Arrivederci!
Drank this next to a 2007 which was a very interesting contrast. With slightly higher ABV, I think the 2012 will age a bit better and retain its fruit longer. I hope I can hold one until 2020...
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Classic Napa cabernet. Fruity nose as you would expect. Strong tannins 7.5 to 8/10. Full bodied. Dark fruit nose and already, while powerful, rounded and integrated.
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Great Bottle, and think this has the ability to pop up a point or two, drank over 2 hours after 1 hour decant, think it might have benefited from a longer decant, but wonderful Black Currant, with a bit of licorice, some espresso and vanilla. Gonna hold off for at least a year or two to pop the next.
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At first, this was less complex on the palate after enjoying a Beckstoffer Cab, but this 2012 REALLY opened up with some air and began to display explosive, dark, ripe fruit. Black cherry, berries, cassis, with subtle anise/ licorice notes. This is an outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet, the best Larkmead vintage yet for me! All l can say is 93+points for now, great stuff!
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This classic beauty is maturing nicely, this 2012 vintage is a winner, hands down. Drinking very even better than last time I tasted. My thoughts are similar to the last notes, but definitely improving. Highly recommended!
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Could not pass up a chance to give this a try with friends. Really approachable right now and I can see this wine getting better over the next couple years. Tannins and fruit are in good harmony right now and I am excited to try this again soon.
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We usually find the Larkmead's are ready to go, even this young, but this was tighter than a Nun's... well... you know. Powerful, tannic, alcohol coming through just a bit. Lacking that smooth Larkmead texture at this stage. I'm sure it will all come together so we'll give it a little more time before the next bottle.
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No formal notes. Drank over 4 days and by day 4, it was still playing along like a musical prodigy. Obviously, waiting a few more years is a good idea. One night, I had a glass of this back to back with the 03 Pontet Canet and it's like they were cousins.
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Really nice cab. Could use at least another year to become a 95. Incredibly smooth for its age. Tastes more like a Solari and priced that way. It's not like it's a limited release with 4000 + cases. But, if I were Larkmead, I would consider change of price point to the 70-75 range with lots of good cabs coming from Napa's 2012 vintage.
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Pop/pour. Very young / primary as is to be expected. Bold dark fruits trending toward a very modern, fruit forward style. Alcohol is relatively high at 14.7% and not entirely masked.
This makes for a nice "cocktail" and would also please at the table of a favorite steakhouse, it is slightly more forward / modern / fruit bomb than I gravitate towards. From memory, my impression of several previous vintages was of greater balance. 91 points for today, 92-94 points potential.
Not super happy about the 30% price increase to $90, which for me starts to move this from "nice buy" to "I'll need to think a bit further".
This Cab is a baby with a great future ahead of it. Lovely dark fruit, cassis and smooth tannins, with appealing style and finesse. Drink it now with a good decant, or really enjoy this Cabernet that will evolve beautifully with cellaring. The 2012 Larkmead Cabernet is as special. The only thing that I don’t like is the price, don’t look for much change after you pluck down a Benjamin! 90.6 Points
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Tasted at winery. I must have been one of the first to try this since I get to put in the first cellar tracker review. Pretty sure it's not even officially bottled yet since this had a temporary label. Very young but this shows some pretty big fruit and tannins especially after the 11 firebelle. Finish is quite long and overall this is nicely balanced. This is going to be a fun one to watch develop. Call 92 now but will definitely improve.
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4/16/2024 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Drinking well, very enjoyable.
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4/15/2024 - jmw17 Likes this wine:
This needed 10 hours to open fully but blossomed quite wonderfully with air.
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12/25/2023 - sswine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow - opened this up and let it decant for 4 hours while cooking dinner. A little muted on the nose but really opened up with time and it lingered on the palate with notes of porcini and lovely sweet berries on the finish. Paired with buttermilk brined Roast Turkey, Crown Roast of Lamb w italian sausage and cranberry stuffing and Mushroom Wellington - it went down a treat!
Looking at my last tasting note I'm hoping it was a one off and I look forward to the other 9 or so in my cellar over the coming years.
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12/13/2023 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Brought to a restaurant, decanted for a half-hour. Excellent Napa valley floor Cab, nice balance, youthful but not too young; drinking well now, but will likely improve with time, so drink or hold.
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11/23/2023 - azcowino Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Tignt tart nose and on the palate; dark black fruit, blackberry but some blue berry, tight pencil lead, heavy oak with hints of tobacco. Perhaps this is not the best bottle, but it did not taste corked. We hope the rest are better.
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10/8/2023 - EFrohmader Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cassis, blackberry, plum, sweet tobacco, graphite, vanilla, toasted oak. Medium-plus body. Tannins well integrated. A bit fruity/sweet. Really good. Went well with steak. Ready now but no rush either.
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8/5/2023 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Thought it might be a little early to drink this '12, but had a couple more so was curious how it was progressing along.... and was more than pleasantly surprised!!
This was pretty ready to go at PnP.... and with a few hours of Slow Ox, this really came into its own.
Was enjoying this at the HBowl, so no real ability to take any notes.. but this was primarily black fruit driven, great mouthfeel and tannin, nice finish. Was not super complex at this point but was past just the primary notes.. and had a great secondary...and think theres a decent chance for this to improve some with more cellar time.
Dont be shy to pop one now.. but think there's some better things to come for those that can wait a bit more... Cheers!!
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2/16/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:
Third of an auction lot of 3, and not much I can add to my note of just over a year ago. Singing off the pour, this is a wine in full, with vibrant fruit and potent tannins and acidity working in perfect harmony, with just enough separateness to keep things interesting. Held well over 3 nights indicating that, while this is bang on in its drinking window, it should have years to go at this level (my window is 4 years longer than CT’s). Great with red sauce pasta and also on its own. Really elegant, and even if it doesn’t have quite the sophistication and complexity of LM’s more expensive Cabs and blends, quite great at $100- (I was thankfully well minus, as I’ve been for all vintages of this bottling). Bravo, Dan Petroski! 95 if scoring.
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2/11/2023 - Blackwa Likes this wine: 94 Points
Heady aromas of black currant with menthol and camphor. Dense palate with well integrated tannins and dark fruit flavors. Nice finish with a bit of tobacco on the retro nasal.
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1/13/2023 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Part of a 2012 Napa Cabernet tasting. While I liked it, I was disappointed, as I expected to like it much more, based on experiences with previous Larkmead Cabs. It was opened, but not decanted for over 45 minutes before pouring. I had it 3rd (out of 3), behind the 2012 Hayfork Lewelling Vineyard, the 2012 Caymus. Medium bodied, medium length finish.
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11/5/2022 - prism wrote: 94 Points
Used some for cooking pot roast, and it was NOT a waste; the added flavors were complex and wonderful. This is a very attractive Cab, with fine tannins, hints of cedar, and a lovely balance of fruit and oak. Young, but eminently drinkable now.
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8/29/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark fruit; still quite young tasting; robust
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7/17/2022 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
From Jeroboam. Broad, full palate of blackcurrant with balanced tannins and acid, very typical of a quality Napa Cab and showing beautifully.
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5/27/2022 - nphase wrote: 88 Points
Very polished and fruit forward. Blueberries and plum for days. Not my bag.
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3/31/2022 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Paired beautifully with roast duck. Brought out the sweetness in the meat. Great aromatics.
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3/12/2022 - phattyjrb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than first try
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3/5/2022 - canan wrote: 94 Points
Packed with sweet and dark black currant fruit. It is still a young wine but it has certainly opened up nicely.
There is still a decent balance due to the high acidity and it is clearly an expressive wine with much to offer.
It does need 2-3 hours of decanting to open.
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2/19/2022 - Hawkeye_Addict Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful wine. Blueberry galore. Out of magnum. Decanted for two hours prior. Don’t see it getting much better. Cheers!
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2/6/2022 - AAJR Likes this wine: 94 Points
Best showing to date, age is helping this along. Optimistic that continued improvement & maturity is on the horizon. Dark purple colored. Fruitful nose that was easy to identify and enjoy as the bottle was decanted. Dark berry, black cherry, cinnamon/spice and dark cocoa flavors. Medium + finish. Integrated tannins that have significantly resolved over time.
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2/4/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Second bottle of 3, and what a difference 32 months makes! As I noted then, this wine was full of potential, but obtrusive tannins seemed to outweigh the positives (91), even after a long decant and a few nights of being open. This time, this was pretty much singing out of the bottle, and after 45 minutes of air, I recorked it as I drank. Lovely notes of moderately powerful black and other dark berries backed by earthy minerality, sweet spice, soy, dark chocolate and graphite. Now immaculately balanced, this medium-bodied cab has that Bordeaux quality, by turns elegant and a bit rustic, more savory than sweet, stellar with a fillet, but with more than enough elegance to shine on its own, putting it solidly ahead of the recent, excellent Col D’Orcia. Perfectly resolved, this seems to be at its peak, but figures to have a good bit of time before dropping off. I’ve had mixed feelings about the handful of Dan Petroski wines I’ve had, but this one is firing on all cylinders right now, making me feel good about the prospects for the Solari and Dr. Olmo currently peacefully sleeping in my collection. 94-95+
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1/3/2022 - cab blends wrote: 91 Points
NOT blind
Always the least complex of the Larkmead range for me. Dark and still youthful. (I don't think this ever gets rounded but who knows)
Tannins are still powerful (8/10). Little nose, dark red with significant acidity in the mid palate which softens in the finish which is positive.
Mid palate is still brooding and dark with blue and some red (not fruity) berries and fruits.
HL 2 FD 3 FI 4/5
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11/25/2021 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
In a great spot for drinking now, with two hours in the decanter. Makes me miss Larkmead, which used to be my favorite winery. Used to be on the list and had a bunch in the cellar. Then the prices went way up and I had to say goodbye. Down to just one bottle now.
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11/21/2021 - cab blends wrote: 91 Points
Smooth and dark chocolate in the finish.
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11/15/2021 - phattyjrb Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little lighter than expected
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8/15/2021 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Suggest 3 hour decant for the 12 Larkmead regular bottling to be at its best right now.
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7/3/2021 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful wine! Opened up in 45 minutes. Lovely nose of herbs and dark fruit. Taste had flavors of blackberry and cassis with beautiful integrated tannins leaving a long finish of cocoa and dark fruit. A unique wine - not jammy and great for those that like enticing tannins.
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6/13/2021 - Redrunners Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave this an hour decant - in a good spot now and ready to drink.
Smooth tannins and fruit with flavors of dark cherry, currants and chocolate. Finish was not overly complex, but an enjoyable wine for a summer cookout with the family.
Larkmead is a nice wine and was previously a good buy until several years ago, back when you could get for ~$70. At the current price point, there are better wines, but still a nice enjoyable wine.
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3/19/2021 - bonedoc wrote:
10/11/12 vertical blind tasting: ranking 10, 12, then 11. all wines in the low 90's.
10: best of bunch, nicely balanced milk chocolate mocha fruit, perfumey aromatics
11: outlier of the three, likely due to the rainy weather that vintage, fruit profile totally different and least appealing
12: #2 of 3, a bit more acid than the 10, and a touch less fruit.... maybe will benefit from additional cellaring.
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2/7/2021 - yeti575rider wrote: 95 Points
Bam, there is the Larkmead I love. Finally this is hitting on all cylinders. Currant with the acidity to bring in the blackberry I love. And the finish is now dialed in - has that Larkmead signature gravelly finish but with no bitterness. Can still taste this as I write the note at halftime of Super Bowl. Excellent.
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2/3/2021 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Has softened some since prior bottle, but still easily a few years left. Drinking really well with about 30 minutes of air. Didn’t increase our score since last bottle but it is solidly a 92.
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1/16/2021 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to my note from October, although this may have more aging potential than I originally thought. Not sure about the CT drinking window through 2031, but 2027 seems realistic. I’m halfway through a six-pack and should wait a few years before opening another bottle.
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12/31/2020 - Cellar Baron wrote: 91 Points
Suggest a 60-120 minute decant. Pop and pour was disappointing.
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11/12/2020 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Waited six years and a one hour decant before tasting my first 2012 Larkmead Cab...and despite my patience, it was still tightly wound with active tannins along with dark blackberry fruit. The Cab has distinct notes of currant, violet, dark chocolate and cola on the palate with a hint of licorice on the finish. While this is clearly a well made wine, think this needs more time to fully enjoy.
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10/11/2020 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Dark and dense with black fruit, cola, a little thyme, a little char, and a moderate tannic backbone that is persistent but not unpleasant. There’s some room for this wine to evolve, but it’s devoid of acid which makes me wonder how long it will hold together. Good with food (Japanese Eggplant with roasted tomatoes and garlic bread tonight), but not much excitement as a solo.
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10/9/2020 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Casual flight and mix dinner; 10/9/2020-10/10/2020 (Home): NOT blind:
Full bodied. Classic rich Napa cinnamon and vanilla on the nose and body.
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8/22/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby red. Dark nose with cocoa, anise, black cherries, oak, spiced and blackberries. Medium plus tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Layered palate with black berries, cinnamon, tobacco and a bit of wood. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2037.
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8/15/2020 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lost the alcohol that was dominant in 2019 when I tasted this so that was good. Fruit still good but tannins have softened a lot. Typical Cab nose. Lots of spice, chocolate and currants. Tannins became more present in the 2nd half of the bottle but still soft. Decanted 90 minutes. Probably only needs 30 minutes. Thought this bottle was just average and not really worth the $89 paid. QPR isn’t good IMO. Fairly one dimensional. Some layers of flavors but I expect much more at this price point. Probably not a wine I would seek out or buy again because of the price point.
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7/4/2020 - flwinos wrote: 92 Points
Agree with others that this is in a good spot right now. I have had the '09 and '10 vintages of this wine and I feel like the fruit has faded significantly. That was not the case with this vintage right now - still plenty of fruit left.
Decanted for about 2 hours before consumption, and it needed at least one hour before it was drinking well (based on sampling).
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5/21/2020 - sswine wrote:
Hopefully this was a one-off but we brought it up to temp and poured in glass and left for an hour. Muted notes in the nose and taste but it was still pretty good - I was expecting more. Then, around halfway through the bottle the wine went quickly downhill and became very veggie and unpleasant in taste. Came back to the same to bottle the next day and it was the same. odd experience, may leave this for a while before coming back
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5/16/2020 - brasstab wrote: 94 Points
This one blew me away. It has come a long way in two years. Real concrete fist in velvet glove stuff. A finish that reminds me of Piedmont. Enjoyed with a Coronavirus-inspired webinar for the winery’s 125th anniversary.
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5/16/2020 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has evolved & now is hitting its stride. Past encounters this was tight with hidden fruit. Dark berries, cassis, dark cherry & chocolate flavors with a medium finish.
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4/25/2020 - Johnf1961 Likes this wine: 97 Points
A delicious cab from the valley floor of the wine centre of the New World. Beautiful blackberry and cassis fruit, fine and nicely integrated tannins, lightly perfumed bouquet, and a long finish. Napa cab from Calistoga expressing the virtues of this heavenly piece of Terra firma.
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4/7/2020 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
This ripe and balanced wine has finally found its groove, with incredible fruit, structure, and integration. I've followed this wine from its grippy youth (2/16 - 93 points) to its promising adolescence (4/17 - 94 points) through many other bottles (that I never wrote up)... but this tastes like maturity. I've been opening a lot of Napa 2012s lately - such a lovey vintage right now - and this is one of my favorites, especially in its price range.
Dark purple in color and full in body (2% milk), the wine offers enticing aromas of blueberry skins, cocoa beans, and dried herbs. Tastes of black currant, black cherry, thyme, and anise, with a symphonic finish that brings a rush of fruit, tannin, and acidity all at once (really: think of the fourth movement of any symphony worth its salt; this finish has that kind of rollicking, integrative, and cumulative feeling). This was more generous and silky than a 2012 Bond Matriarch tasted on the same night. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. 14.7% alcohol. Watch the sediment, of which there is plenty. Decant at least an hour. Drink in next few years.
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12/25/2019 - garryhellmich wrote: 90 Points
It might have entered a stage where it needs more time.
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11/26/2019 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted two hours and drank over the next hour. Pretty alcoholic..14.7% Fairly integrated but you still get the heat. Nice flavor layers of red fruits, tobacco, chocolate, spice box and currants. Still young. Will probably hold my remaining bottle another year or two.
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11/16/2019 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
A great cab. Still show's age com-ability. Somewhat old world characteristics Cheers
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10/8/2019 - jeagle wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours then consumed over two nights. A week ago I was disappointed with this wine, but this bottle was so much better offering dusty and soft ripe fruit wrapped around an impressive acid core. Lovely both nights. I guess the previous bottle was a lazy runt of the litter.
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10/2/2019 - jeagle wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 4 hours, returned to the bottle, then consumed over 2 nights. This wine seemed to be struggling to be worthy of its price point over both nights. Anxious, unsettled. Maybe I caught it at a bad time, but it just never delivered.
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9/1/2019 - charsachson wrote: 90 Points
Too soon!!!
(Update) 24 hours later... vacuum sealed about 25% of the bottle overnight and MUCH better. The extra long decant helped!
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8/7/2019 - Livermore Dan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding cab and not overpowering.
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8/6/2019 - TRueNOLA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened in Aug 2019. Popped and poured. Nice nose with some aging - red berry still there but leather and cacao showing. Taste of sweeter bing cherry, cedar and chocolate.
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7/27/2019 - jgkost wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine with soft red fruits, a touch of oak and proper acidity to balance. Personally with it was a little more fruit forward but really enjoyable.
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7/6/2019 - Blackwa Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very strong medicinal aromas and sandalwood surround a core of dark fruit. Palate is very well balanced with deep currant flavors and cherry highlights and really nice tension and gritty tannins. Finish is about 30-45 seconds. I will probably keep the other one I have another 2-3 years before consuming but it’s great now.
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6/25/2019 - sfwinelover1 wrote: 91 Points
First of 3 from an auction lot purchased a few months ago (abt$70@). Decanted for about an hour. Muted nose of cherry with a bit of earthy minerality and spices. Small first taste, whoa! Like being hit over the head by a 2'x4'. Very hot and big, rough tannins. About another hour and a half later, the integration had started. Medium dark color, medium to full bodied, strong legs. The tannins are still powerful and very present, but have rounded. Moderate acidity. A very present and not unpleasing note on the backend of scorched earth (could also be described as gravel or asphalt; my taste buds aren't so refined so as to distinguish). At this point, not a lot of the secondary notes I often like in cabs such as licorice, chocolate, coffee or mint/eucalyptus, but perhaps they will develop over the time and the fruit may become more vibrant. The wine has in impressive minerality, and the elements are certainly there for a mid 90s wine. I think that this wine, even after a lengthy decant, is still probably 2-5 years away from full potential, and could hold that for many more, so I'll leave my other 2 bottles for a couple of years. Good complement to rack of lamb.
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6/1/2019 - PrimesWine Likes this wine: 99 Points
Big, inky, tannic, fantastic. Opened up about 2hrs in - definitely still needs a long decant but so so good.
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5/23/2019 - yeti575rider wrote:
Planned to drink with GoT finale. Unfortunately I apparently dehydrated myself from my bike ride earlier and got the worst leg cramp of all time mid sip. My wife gladly finished bottle while I ate bananas and drank water and gatorade the rest of the time.
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5/11/2019 - Ben&Sarah Likes this wine:
In the early stages of its prime, in our opinion. Much softer and rounder than 2 years ago.
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4/20/2019 - JHalvorson Likes this wine: 93 Points
We brought this bottle to Mancini's, an old fashioned steak house in St. Paul. It was perfect with the steaks. Very ready to drink when allowed to breath in the glass for awhile.
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3/11/2019 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as last time except some orange at the rim and tannins more prominent the longer it was open
Needs at least another year
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2/9/2019 - csklsc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Previous notes apply. Incrementally improved since last tasted almost a year ago. In a good drinking window. Enjoy.
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1/31/2019 - beau11 wrote: 94 Points
A definite step up from prior cabs, where ive been a bit disappointed in the lack of fruit/balance in other vintages. Decanted and drank over 3 hours. More aroma and a more flavor than previous lark cabs. Nice depth to the flavor across the midpalate. Tannins are softening but there is enough structure here for years. Decided a few years back to give my larkmeads more age and if this is any indication, that was a good decision.
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1/13/2019 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Its ready!!! Really good wine. Decant for a few hours. The great thing is, this can be held for another 3-5 years
Cheers
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12/16/2018 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple to cherry at the rim. Dark fruits with an earthy undertone on the nose. Lush black fruit up front tannins kicking in to as the wine crosses the pallet to a 15 to 20 second finish. Starting to come together as a wine rather than fermented grape juice. Still needs another year or two. Will try a couple of bottles over Xmas with company then wait another year or so
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12/15/2018 - Chip Merlot Likes this wine: 95 Points
1 hour decant probably wasn't enough but no complaints, this really sang from the uncorking onward. Aroma exploded from the glass, a great bouquet of red and black fruits. On the palate, a rush of luxuriously smooth dark red and black fruits, amazing concentration without being jammy. The winery's tasting note said something about crushed gravel and I didn't get that at all. Unfortunately the bottle went much too quickly. Often I try to keep some for the next day so I can see its evolution but that was not possible with this one.
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12/9/2018 - rsternth wrote: 90 Points
Not exceptional, but not too bad either. It has some depth and doesn't have high tannins, which is nice, but I wasn't getting anything special here. In the past, I think Larkmead wines showed a little more depth and complexity.
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5/22/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gave it about two hours of air. Deep red/purple hues. Decent nose. Medium to full bodied smooth integrated wine with dark red and blue fruit. Decent finish. Drank during the week and probably should be enjoyed over a weekend with some time to kill and a big piece of beef.
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5/8/2018 - zack.wygant Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1.5 hrs then back in the bottle to take to dinner. Could of used more time to open but very lovely. Went well with rack of lamb!
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4/24/2018 - csklsc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium nose with pleasant currant notes, petit verdot showing through, tannins still present but not over powering. Kept thinking over 2 days of sipping, very enjoyable classic Napa cab. Didn't change appreciably over the 2 day stretch. Many choices out there at this price point.
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3/28/2018 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Decided to revisit from around a year ago. Black and dark red fruit - blackberry, dark currants, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration and nice flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little chocolate. However, I thought the finish was somewhat lacking - fairly short and not much depth. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time. Drank next to a 2015 Quivet napa cab and surprisingly I thought the Quivet was quite a bit better - fuller flavors and longer/deeper finish. Although prices throughout Napa have obviously increased over the years, I thought Larkmead’s wines were a nice value when you could pick-up their entry level cab for around $50 but at the current price point I believe there are better options. Once again, 94% cab and 6% petit verdot.
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3/22/2018 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Is there a better producer in Napa, all things considered?
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2/11/2018 - JHalvorson Likes this wine: 89 Points
I'm sorry but this just didn't grab me like every wine at this price point should in some way.
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2/11/2018 - BrownCellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is drinking fabulously this year, cracked (and of course could not help but drink) a 375 to get an indication of the disposition of the bulk of the order - leather and vanilla accompany a load of black fruit with baking spices evident at the finish. If you are hoping to finally identify what gravel might taste like, this wine can give you a consistant opportunity at every velvety sip.
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2/8/2018 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big full bodied cherry to purple. Soft tannins medium to long finish
Tons of fruit with the minerality typical of larkmead
Still plenty of time on this one
Will try again in another year
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10/16/2017 - fats1976 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank this as part of a 2012, 2013 and 2014 vertical. The 2012 was the most integrated and ready to drink of the three. It has deep dark berry, earth and a bit of smoke, with a long pleasing finish. The 2013 was the most powerful, although still a bit disjointed and not fully developed yet. In 3-5 years, this will be spectacular. The 2014 was a little disappointing, at least compared to the 2012 and 2013. It was a bit thin, and missing something. Perhaps in some time, this will also improve.
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10/7/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Took about an hour to sing, beautiful fruit, cassis, hints of chocolate - I love the fruit proFile of larkmead cabs.
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9/13/2017 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still not ready. It actually took 3 days to really become great. But all 3 days of drinking was good, just different notes on this nice wine
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9/3/2017 - fats1976 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark fruit, blackberry and chocolate. The nose was not expressive, but opened with air. This clearly got better over the night, the tannins are tight and the finish impressive. I agree wth previous notes that this needs more time in the bottle to fully come together.
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8/9/2017 - BrownCellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberry and Gravel, this wine seems to be trending towards peaking
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8/3/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep and dark ruby red with a purplish hue. Layered nose with dark cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco, and dark berries. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Dark bitter cocoa on the attack with cassis, blackcurrants and black cherries. Thick all around with sweet spices too. Dry and long finish. Big and bold wine, will drink well for up to a decade. Drink till 2027. (93+)
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7/28/2017 - alsatl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good but needs 1-2 years in the bottle. Decanted for 4-5 hours and still very tart and acidic. Will be excellent with time.
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7/28/2017 - cab blends wrote: 95 Points
37686
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7/18/2017 - yeti575rider wrote: 92 Points
Battle of Larkmead in OBX. Had this up against the 2012 Rivers Marie Calistoga (which I believe is now an "Olmo" block). I had this slightly behind as it was first for the 3 or the 4 of us. My wife preferred this as it is more consistent with the Larkmead profile carrying a bit more earthiness in a Bordeaux way. I liked the finish of the RM better since it carried more fruit but the wines are still much more similar than different. Looking forward to tracking the development of my remaining bottles.
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7/15/2017 - Ben&Sarah Likes this wine:
Still a bit young. Decanted and it opened up over the course of a few hours. I will hold my remaining bottles for at least another year
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7/2/2017 - caesar77 wrote: 94 Points
Drank this way too young. Opened the bottle hours before drinking, poured glasses through aerator ~90 minutes before meal and left in glass to decant. Smooth and enjoyable, but dense, unpacked and did not "dance" with the food. Left a glass out for another 2 hours and it was just *starting* to open up. There was a very pronounced flavor of black currant, a little bit of earth and silky tannins.
Addendum: day 2 and its drinking as I recall it from our visit to the Vineyard. Luxardo cherry, currants, sweet tobacco and earth. Wine was fully open, plush and grabbed on to everything we ate with it (including Mediterranean shrimp). Paired particularly well with shitake mushrooms sauteed in cream sherry on top of filet mignon grilled w/ black pepper and salt.
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5/14/2017 - ciesel wrote: 88 Points
Good but not great cab. Has Larkmead earthiness.
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4/25/2017 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This wine has rounded out and deepened in the 14 months since I tasted it last (93 points - 2/16). Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, spice, and gravel. Tastes of black cherry, plum, cedar, and graphite, with less pepper and more dark chocolate on the finish. The tannins have subsided considerably, and the finish has added a pleasant sweetness, where before it was more grippy and dry. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. 14.7% alcohol. I'll wait to open my next bottle until 2018, when I think this will be near its peak, but it has definitely entered its drinking window.
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2/24/2017 - Badmonkey wrote: 91 Points
Dark black and red fruit - blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved with time but I believe this vintage could use another year or two for the fruit to open-up a little more. 94% cab and 6% petit verdot.
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2/23/2017 - xuaeinw wrote: 92 Points
Very much in its drinking window, but should be good for a number of years. Needs to be decanted.
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2/12/2017 - brasstab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soft and elegant, like a lot of Larkmead. Feels like more of an Old World approach, and I dig that. Fruit is there, but not screaming, well integrated with the tannins. Popped and poured it, so I suspect it would have developed even more with a little more air time.
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2/6/2017 - mccaffery Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great flavor, blackberry, rasberry and a hint of cherry. Probably could use some more time in the cellar for a longer finish, but still smooth.
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1/21/2017 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted & let sit for three hours before enjoying with a cheese plate. Dark purple colored, balanced - but the fruit seemed to be somewhat masked. Enjoyable, but I expected more - hopefully more cellar time allows the fruit to come out. Note to self - revisit in '19-'20.
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12/17/2016 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Soft, elegant, round, drinking beautifully
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12/13/2016 - dontime wrote:
First bottle. Really singing with four hours of air. Dark fruit, licorice and cedar in a dense, well structured wine. If scoring 92-94.
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11/17/2016 - bobpsi Likes this wine:
Classic Napa cab, lots of blackberry, cassis, mocha and sandalwood notes. Firm tannins and long finish.
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11/12/2016 - jgkost wrote: 87 Points
No nose, flat with little fruit. Very disappointing again. They keep raising the prices but the quality is not there.
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8/13/2016 - jgkost Likes this wine: 90 Points
An expensive bottle of OK wine. Fairly flat, muted fruit and low acidity... bummer.
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5/14/2016 - EFrohmader Likes this wine: 92 Points
Some sediment in the bottle. I get mostly fruit on the nose, more dark than red. On the palate, berries dominate again, but you also get some cedar and pencil lead. Nice acidity and tannins. Good balance. Quite nice right now, but you can tell it is only going to get better with more time in the bottle. Wait two years to drink the next bottle.
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4/27/2016 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
A goodie and classic! Very settle, and appealing when drinking.
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4/26/2016 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanting will produce a more enjoyable experience, this one is still a little tight. Day 2 considerably better showing soft, appealing, composite elements on the palate. Hints of wood, cedar, anise, and cassis. This wine is focused and shows elegance. It is amazing how Larkmead Cabs evolve with time. In the beginning, this wine seemed to be thin and flat. That is not the case anymore with the 2012 vintage. Unfortunately, the wine is overpriced.
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3/12/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 92 Points
Great Cab, but I love the overall 2013 vintage has me spoiled.
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2/10/2016 - msuwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
An impressive young Cabernet that is starting to hit its stride. Dark purple in color, full in body, nose of blackberry and graphite. Tastes of black cherry, boysenberry, licorice, pepper, and gravel, with a grippy and tannic finish showing the youth of the wine. 14.7% alcohol. I will wait until 2017 if I can help it. Blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot.
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2/3/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Flickinger Customer Appreciation Tasting (Casino Club - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Quite tasty with good enough balance. While i'd like more energy, this is a pleasant enough glass of wine that anybody can enjoy if they don't overthink it.
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2/3/2016 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): A nice peppery tone hits the nose on this one -- something that I really like and look for in a cabernet. Dense and sweet, with tannins that aren't too abrasive and brash, although this is simply too low in acid to be enjoyable for more than a few sips.
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1/25/2016 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as my last sampling and seemed rather shut down and a bit dull. Fruit (currant and plum) was rather muted. Some menthol and earthiness on the palate giving it more of a Bordeaux like finish which would be good if the accompanying fruit was there. Was waiting to try it again the next day but my wife unfortunately finished the bottle without sharing. Scoring as it tastes today and hoping more time will do these good. Didn't seem overly tannic so that doesn't seem to be the issue. Perhaps just a somewhat flawed bottle but too minor to really notice.
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1/22/2016 - ColluraJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red. Strong fruit. Tannins a bit strong. Needs to age. Excellent.
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1/11/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 93 Points
Notes are similar to the last, dark, ripe fruit, black cherry, berries, cassis, with subtle anise/ licorice notes. Great Cab, not so great price.
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11/30/2015 - csimm wrote: 91 Points
Larkmead Tasting (Larkmead, Napa): Drank at Larkmead alongside the 2012 Solari, Salon, and Firebelle.
A friendly enough Cabernet with notes of plum, red currant, and some cedar/forest floor underpinnings. The mid-palate receives a generous coating of classic Cabernet flavors, but falls just a bit short for me on the back end. Not an extraordinarily memorable Cabernet overall, but still delivered the requisite goods at the end of the day.
A wine ready to drink now and over the next 5+ years. Perhaps age will help this fatten up a bit more, but I'm not entirely confident that time in bottle will ultimately improve this wine beyond what it is kicking out currently. A good entry level Cabernet with a QPR that is only so-so given comparables out there in the Napa Cabernet world that deliver similar satisfaction.
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11/28/2015 - RJ Gordon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious wine, and i think it will get better. Full fruit and delicate structure, decanted and hour...very enjoyable from avery solid producer.
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10/30/2015 - Pointagrouse Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young. Decant for at least an hour before drinking. Excellent and will only improve with age.
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9/30/2015 - bigdogsteve Likes this wine: 95 Points
Killer Big Red. Spices and plums with and incredibly satisfying black-fruit finish that lasts forever...
Hard to imagine this getting much better, but I know it will!
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9/18/2015 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious! It is too bad that the cost of their standard Napa Cabernet is at the $125 price point. I have 4 bottles left and I will enjoy them. There are Cabs out there that are just as good (or better) for less money. I have enjoyed these wines, but they have priced themselves out of my league at this time. Too bad. WS gives this vintage 86 Points? I don't like the price gouge, but this wine is one of best Napa Valley Cab's I have tasted from them. I'll say it once more, too bad Larkmead..... Arrivederci!
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9/1/2015 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really solid cab already, and it's young. Lots of life ahead of it, score will likely rise.
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8/25/2015 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank this next to a 2007 which was a very interesting contrast. With slightly higher ABV, I think the 2012 will age a bit better and retain its fruit longer. I hope I can hold one until 2020...
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8/11/2015 - jcha24 wrote:
really nice but needs 2-3 years minimum or a hefty decant
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6/27/2015 - domestic_primate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Can't say enough, can't wait to try in a year or two. Hope I can hold them for that long!
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6/26/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Napa cabernet. Fruity nose as you would expect. Strong tannins 7.5 to 8/10. Full bodied. Dark fruit nose and already, while powerful, rounded and integrated.
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5/21/2015 - Cabernet4me2 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great Bottle, and think this has the ability to pop up a point or two, drank over 2 hours after 1 hour decant, think it might have benefited from a longer decant, but wonderful Black Currant, with a bit of licorice, some espresso and vanilla. Gonna hold off for at least a year or two to pop the next.
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4/19/2015 - Yack Man wrote: 93 Points
At first, this was less complex on the palate after enjoying a Beckstoffer Cab, but this 2012 REALLY opened up with some air and began to display explosive, dark, ripe fruit. Black cherry, berries, cassis, with subtle anise/ licorice notes. This is an outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet, the best Larkmead vintage yet for me! All l can say is 93+points for now, great stuff!
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3/28/2015 - CLOrta wrote: 94 Points
This is drinking better every 6 months definitely will be one of the best vintages can't wait to see it age
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3/21/2015 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Currants, graphite, plums, and a bit of fig on the nose. Savory with a touch of sweet plum on the palate. Nice finish.
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3/5/2015 - Yack Man wrote: 92 Points
This classic beauty is maturing nicely, this 2012 vintage is a winner, hands down. Drinking very even better than last time I tasted. My thoughts are similar to the last notes, but definitely improving. Highly recommended!
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2/12/2015 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very classy wine. Long lasting. I am glad that I have 5 bottle to drink over the next 1-6 years. This will age nicely. Very impressed.
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1/24/2015 - K28226 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with last few notes, big upside.
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1/6/2015 - BigSchmove Likes this wine: 93 Points
big very well balanced and already showing well. can't wait to try it later..
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12/27/2014 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Young, big & outstanding. Promising future. Glad I have 10 more bottles in the cellar for future enjoyment.
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12/23/2014 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
good depth and complexity, vanillin flavors
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12/20/2014 - Cycle Man Likes this wine: 93 Points
Could not pass up a chance to give this a try with friends. Really approachable right now and I can see this wine getting better over the next couple years. Tannins and fruit are in good harmony right now and I am excited to try this again soon.
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12/8/2014 - domco wrote:
We usually find the Larkmead's are ready to go, even this young, but this was tighter than a Nun's... well... you know. Powerful, tannic, alcohol coming through just a bit. Lacking that smooth Larkmead texture at this stage. I'm sure it will all come together so we'll give it a little more time before the next bottle.
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11/15/2014 - ledocq wrote:
No formal notes. Drank over 4 days and by day 4, it was still playing along like a musical prodigy. Obviously, waiting a few more years is a good idea. One night, I had a glass of this back to back with the 03 Pontet Canet and it's like they were cousins.
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11/10/2014 - redrules wrote: 92 Points
Really nice cab. Could use at least another year to become a 95. Incredibly smooth for its age. Tastes more like a Solari and priced that way. It's not like it's a limited release with 4000 + cases. But, if I were Larkmead, I would consider change of price point to the 70-75 range with lots of good cabs coming from Napa's 2012 vintage.
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11/6/2014 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Pop/pour. Very young / primary as is to be expected. Bold dark fruits trending toward a very modern, fruit forward style. Alcohol is relatively high at 14.7% and not entirely masked.
This makes for a nice "cocktail" and would also please at the table of a favorite steakhouse, it is slightly more forward / modern / fruit bomb than I gravitate towards. From memory, my impression of several previous vintages was of greater balance. 91 points for today, 92-94 points potential.
Not super happy about the 30% price increase to $90, which for me starts to move this from "nice buy" to "I'll need to think a bit further".
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9/28/2014 - Yack Man Likes this wine: 91 Points
This Cab is a baby with a great future ahead of it. Lovely dark fruit, cassis and smooth tannins, with appealing style and finesse. Drink it now with a good decant, or really enjoy this Cabernet that will evolve beautifully with cellaring. The 2012 Larkmead Cabernet is as special. The only thing that I don’t like is the price, don’t look for much change after you pluck down a Benjamin! 90.6 Points
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8/3/2014 - yeti575rider wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at winery. I must have been one of the first to try this since I get to put in the first cellar tracker review. Pretty sure it's not even officially bottled yet since this had a temporary label. Very young but this shows some pretty big fruit and tannins especially after the 11 firebelle. Finish is quite long and overall this is nicely balanced. This is going to be a fun one to watch develop. Call 92 now but will definitely improve.
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