PnP, Dark fruit, cherries, chocolate and spice. Evolves as it opens up over a few hours. Initially, lots of sweet currants which settled down as the wine opened up. Overall, a very good wine.
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Nose of smoky plum, coffee, currant, and cedar. Black plum and black currant on the plush textured palate with thyme, mint, and hints of tarragon and black licorice, though not a lot of acidity. Mouthful of gentle, resolved tannins on the finish with some black cherry fruit riding over cigar box, vanilla, soft oak, and a touch of potpourri.
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Second of 4 bottles purchased as futures through club. First bottle was about 18 months ago and I enjoyed it but didn't think the QPR was there. Worried I'd made a mistake. Wow what a difference that extra time made! Poured glasses about 90 minutes before first sip accompanying grilled sirloins and baked potatoes, and remainder of the bottle aired out horizontally in an old-timey wine cradle. The bouquet upon pouring was fantastic so I knew a treat was in store. Then sitting down, tons of red fruit flavors in a luxe robe of earthy dark dark chocolate on the palate. Not a great deal of complexity but sometimes you're just looking for the right tone to be hit and this hit it, like a giant gong. Classic Napa aroma and flavor profile, in my experience if I'd tasted it blind I'd have guessed Napa immediately. In my book that is a big plus, although I love wines from other areas. Speaking of which: Night 2, after happily downing the remaining 5 ounces, I then turned to the remainder of an inexpensive Super Tuscan that I have 5-6 times a year to finish out the meal. What a letdown. Nothing wrong with it, but the contrast just reminded me of why sometimes the extra money can be worth it. Having said that, L'mead did price me out of their club several years ago so I cherish the bottles I still have.
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3 hour decant: Lush, sweet black currant, earthy spice, dark chocolate. Very rich red wine with a big wallop of Merlot. Saved overnight with nitro wine preserve made it more balanced and lovely on Day 2. 94-95
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Similar to last bottle and far from my favorite Firebelle. That said got the better of the Carter Hossfield. Actually drank over 2 nights. Not much change but thought it was slightly better the first day with a bit more intensity to the fruit.
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At age 8, this is ready to go, with all the pieces perfectly in place. Pleasant, if somewhat subdued, on the nose, opening to a full-bodied palate of ripe summer blackberries, macerated black cherries, and a dash of light roast coffee. Rounded tannins make a brief appearance in the finish. To me, this is at peak and I’d happily drink more over the next 2-3 years, if there were any in the cellar.
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Firebelle won the night -- against a Saffredi, no less. We did a comparison of 2012s and this Bordeaux blend hit it out of the park. Classic Napa fruit, structure and strong graphite core.
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Drank over 5 days and every drop was delish. Never worried once about points (score, price), just let myself love this well-made, rich but balanced, chocolate-cherry glass of yum. I disagree with the aguafiestas below. This wine shows its pedigree. I have five more bottles and I’m in no rush — except to drink more Larkmead in general.
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Still no hurry on these. Slow ox for two hours, then drank over three more. Needed the air time to smooth out. A solid enjoyable blend, but doesn’t quite Live up to its price tag.
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The wine that killed my love of Larkmead and captured their cynicism. Dramatic raising of prices across the board, even for wines that were pedestrian. Sorry for the political tasting note. The wine is fine. 90 points is accurate.
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Probably a 90 point wine, but I took away a point for the price. This wine imo underachieves in every vintage I’ve had. That being said, I think larkmead’s other wines are generally terrific.
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Leap Year Melot Night (Bobby Van's on Park, NYC): Opened, but not decanted for almost 60 minutes before pouring. I had this as part of a Merlot tasting with my wine group. Disappointing for the price point. Nice wine, very refined, especially compared to the other Merlots in the tasting. Really no better than the 2013 Substance Merlot that followed it. Overpriced for my tastes. A quick note: I had meant to bring the 2013, but couldn't find it in my cellar. I just realized for 2013, Larkmead changed the color of the Firebelle label!
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Great bottle! Significant depth to the nose, ending in dark cherry liquor. Luscious and full bodied, with bright fruits and great structure. Style is a marriage of old and new world. Drinking great, but clearly just coming into it's own. This will drink well for the next 5-10 years. Another stellar effort from Dan Petroski.
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I'm with MSUWright on this one. The last bottle of 2010 Firebelle was one of my top wines of the year and was just awesome. This fell flat. I just thought it was disjointed and lacking the merlot character that makes this so unique. I need to check the mix to see if they tweaked the mix more this year. Not bad by any means so still giving a 90 but just kind of heavy.
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Dark fruits, touch of vanilla, lengthy finish. Seemed a little bigger/bolder than what I usually think of with Firebelle... perhaps the vintage? I think in a pretty nice drinking window now, not sure I'd try and age long term.
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Popped 'n poured in a NYC restaurant with my wine group. It was the final wine (and the youngest) of the night. While not the WOTN, it was enjoyed by all. Blueberry notes on the nose. Medium length finish.
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Me: Say something, I'm giving up on you. Wine: [silence]
OK, I don't generally talk to - or sing about - my wine, but this earthy and damp Merlot-based blend has been frustrating for, oh, three and a half years, so I figured it was time for some random song quotations. In 2015, I was optimistic, if a bit puzzled about the wine's backwardness (4/15 - 91 points). Two years later, I thought it had improved, but it still seemed brambly and tannic (8/17 - 93 points). Now, at a time when 2012s are generally singing, I give up: regardless of how much I loved past vintages, I'm just not that into the 2012.
Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of peppercorn, red licorice, and cloves. Tastes of boysenberry, leather, baking spices, and cocoa powder, with a savory and grainy finish. This isn't as dry or backward as before, but it still hasn't resolved itself - something that, like world peace or NorCal statehood, I'm confident saying will never happen. Blend of 54% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 13% Petit Verdot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% alcohol.
I loved the Larkmead 2012 portfolio: the Solari and Lark were mind-blowing, followed by the LMV and then the Cabernet. This is the exception. I loved the Firebelle in 2009 and 2010, for example, but the 2012 can be summed up in one word, which I think is the ultimate dismissal of a wine that you want to like but just can't: meh.
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Huge bouquet filled with ripe black fruits. Banking Spice, Toast and Ripe Plums and BlackBerries, leather and full body, delicious and powerful, especially once the wine has opened and has been at temperature for a day or so.
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This wine has softened and deepened in the two years since I tasted it last (4/15 - 91 points), but it still tastes backward for a Merlot-based 2012 blend - a problem that will likely be solved with time. I have adored this wine in the past, but this vintage is proving harder to love than I expected, even after 2-3 hours of decanting.
Ruby red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and charcoal. The taste is where the wine has evolved: notes of boysenberry, dark chocolate, leather, and cedar, with a finish that still carries some brambly tannins that coat (and dry out) the mouth. Blend of 54% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 13% Petit Verdot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% alcohol. The wall of tannins has come down in the past few years, but it is still there: my guess (and hope) is that this will shine in 2018 or 2019.
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Opened this bottle to see if it's worth the continued price increases. The wine has been in my cellar since release. I decanted it for two hours. It took another hour to really open up. There are still a lot of tannins, and I believe the wine has a good 10 years left in it. I got red and black fruit on the nose. I thought there was blue fruit on the palate once it started showing life. The finish was medium. The wine is really good. I'm just torn on it compared to other wines available at $125 for the current release. I also have the 2013 and 2014.
Purchased at the 2012 picnic at the vineyard, I was very excited to finally pull the cork and taste this complex sleeping beauty - toast and baking spices at the entry and ripe red fruit on the palate, hints of plums and cherry. This wine is well worth opening now and should be terrific as it ages. I recommend that you allow this to open up for a bit prior to sampling, it will compliment the journey.
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Nice with subtle red fruit and wood on the nose. A bit acidic in the mouth which mellowed a bit as it opened but not enough. A very nice wine but as with most recent Larkmeads, the QPR continues to diminish...
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A very nice bottle. This is getting better through the years like a wine should. IF you have this vintage, you can definitely start drinking now. you can even hold it the next 5 years, and it would still be great.
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A bit closed even after an hour in the glass. Decanted and opened up quite a bit. Still young. Not Larkmead's best but still quite good. Saving my remaining two bottle for a couple years
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I was a tad underwhelmed with this wine, as I expect more complexity and fullness with Larkmead. Good wine, but I agree with the earlier note re QPR. This wine has a bit of a softer mouthfeel, with integrated fruit, but it also seemed a bit closed. Nice finish. With more cellar time, I could see it improving.
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Fully integrated tannins, upfront balance of red and black fruit. Great mid-palate tannins and long lingering finish through-out. Seemless transition to finish.
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This wine is still not fully integrated, but when it finally does it's going to be quite tasty. I'm holding on to the rest of my allocation for at least another 1-2 years.
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Drank at a friends, no detailed notes. Fairly soft and approachable, with rich fruits. Doesn't seem to have a ton of structure. Similarly, it's not the most complex wine. Serviceable, even good. But not something I'd rush out to replace at its $100 tariff. QPRs like this could turn me toward artisanal cocktails;)
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Drank at a friends, no detailed notes. Fairly soft and approachable, with rich fruits. Doesn't seem to have a ton of structure. Similarly, it's not the most complex wine. Serviceable, even good. But not something I'd rush out to replace at its $100 tariff.
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Dark berries, current fruits, good extraction and elegance. I'm not really hot on blends but this is tasting better than I expected. For the money however, there are better choices out there.
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A really good blend, which you can taste the blueberry, blackberry, and plum. It had aromas of soft settle ripe fruit. This was a great bottle over 2 days
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Though this was a "fine" example of a classic red blend, I found it to be my least favorite overall in the lineup. Notes that initially I found unique and somewhat interesting upon the first attack (damp earth, black cherry, rhubarb), quickly became a bit confusing and disjointed. The interplay between the PV and the Malbec hit odd registers for me, like a Primus song (it is technically correct, but it never really amounts to music I actually want to listen to).
Some of this I chalk up to personal preference, so the 90 points was given with that understanding. My personal palate would have scored this lower, frankly. A bit of a miss for me, and the QPR is a little silly given the quality in the bottle.
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An intriguing Merlot-based blend, but needs time for tannins to integrate and subside. Decanted for an hour. Dark red, with nose of chocolate and cherry. Powerful tastes of dark fruits (e.g., blackberry, blueberry), with strong secondary notes of graphite, cocoa, and dust. 14.7% alcohol. Promising fruit, but a lot is hiding behind the wall of tannin. Give it time: based on drinking plenty of Firebelles over the years, I think this will surely improve.
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I wanted to hate it for $100. But unfortunately, Larkmead delivered. Should be priced at 75-80 though. Finesse, laid back, presence of an expensive French Bordeaux. Structure, balance, dark fruit, composure, nuances. It's all there.
2/25/2024 - B&T wrote:
Tons of life left in this. Likely opened too soon - there is 10 solid years of life left in this Firebelle.
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10/17/2022 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
PnP, Dark fruit, cherries, chocolate and spice. Evolves as it opens up over a few hours. Initially, lots of sweet currants which settled down as the wine opened up. Overall, a very good wine.
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9/6/2022 - VAGenius Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of smoky plum, coffee, currant, and cedar. Black plum and black currant on the plush textured palate with thyme, mint, and hints of tarragon and black licorice, though not a lot of acidity. Mouthful of gentle, resolved tannins on the finish with some black cherry fruit riding over cigar box, vanilla, soft oak, and a touch of potpourri.
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6/12/2022 - Chip Merlot Likes this wine: 96 Points
Second of 4 bottles purchased as futures through club. First bottle was about 18 months ago and I enjoyed it but didn't think the QPR was there. Worried I'd made a mistake. Wow what a difference that extra time made! Poured glasses about 90 minutes before first sip accompanying grilled sirloins and baked potatoes, and remainder of the bottle aired out horizontally in an old-timey wine cradle. The bouquet upon pouring was fantastic so I knew a treat was in store. Then sitting down, tons of red fruit flavors in a luxe robe of earthy dark dark chocolate on the palate. Not a great deal of complexity but sometimes you're just looking for the right tone to be hit and this hit it, like a giant gong. Classic Napa aroma and flavor profile, in my experience if I'd tasted it blind I'd have guessed Napa immediately. In my book that is a big plus, although I love wines from other areas. Speaking of which: Night 2, after happily downing the remaining 5 ounces, I then turned to the remainder of an inexpensive Super Tuscan that I have 5-6 times a year to finish out the meal. What a letdown. Nothing wrong with it, but the contrast just reminded me of why sometimes the extra money can be worth it. Having said that, L'mead did price me out of their club several years ago so I cherish the bottles I still have.
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1/26/2022 - domco wrote:
Dark fruits, still pretty well balanced. Very drinkable, but not really memorable or special at this point? For the price, would like a little more…
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11/21/2021 - cab blends wrote: 92 Points
Light dirty nose (which is surprising for larkmead) Tannins are heavy and dry finish tannins 8/10.
Hl 3. Fd 3.
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8/6/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
3 hour decant: Lush, sweet black currant, earthy spice, dark chocolate. Very rich red wine with a big wallop of Merlot. Saved overnight with nitro wine preserve made it more balanced and lovely on Day 2. 94-95
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6/29/2021 - ciesel wrote: 88 Points
Good
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5/16/2021 - yeti575rider wrote: 91 Points
Similar to last bottle and far from my favorite Firebelle. That said got the better of the Carter Hossfield. Actually drank over 2 nights. Not much change but thought it was slightly better the first day with a bit more intensity to the fruit.
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11/28/2020 - grasshopper Likes this wine: 93 Points
Could (should?) have easily waited years to drink this
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10/4/2020 - EMTAME wrote: 93 Points
At age 8, this is ready to go, with all the pieces perfectly in place. Pleasant, if somewhat subdued, on the nose, opening to a full-bodied palate of ripe summer blackberries, macerated black cherries, and a dash of light roast coffee. Rounded tannins make a brief appearance in the finish. To me, this is at peak and I’d happily drink more over the next 2-3 years, if there were any in the cellar.
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9/19/2020 - brasstab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Firebelle won the night -- against a Saffredi, no less. We did a comparison of 2012s and this Bordeaux blend hit it out of the park. Classic Napa fruit, structure and strong graphite core.
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9/18/2020 - Sdouglass20 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Decanted for just 30 min but was still phenomenal. Has legs but no reason not to start enjoying now
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7/16/2020 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
Drank over 5 days and every drop was delish. Never worried once about points (score, price), just let myself love this well-made, rich but balanced, chocolate-cherry glass of yum. I disagree with the aguafiestas below. This wine shows its pedigree. I have five more bottles and I’m in no rush — except to drink more Larkmead in general.
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5/15/2020 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still no hurry on these. Slow ox for two hours, then drank over three more. Needed the air time to smooth out. A solid enjoyable blend, but doesn’t quite Live up to its price tag.
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4/18/2020 - seminolkev wrote:
Start drinking no sooner than 2023
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4/15/2020 - xuaeinw wrote: 91 Points
Needs air to open up. Should be good for 5 plus years. Good with hearty food (short ribs).
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4/10/2020 - jonphillips wrote: 90 Points
The wine that killed my love of Larkmead and captured their cynicism. Dramatic raising of prices across the board, even for wines that were pedestrian. Sorry for the political tasting note. The wine is fine. 90 points is accurate.
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3/12/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 89 Points
Probably a 90 point wine, but I took away a point for the price. This wine imo underachieves in every vintage I’ve had. That being said, I think larkmead’s other wines are generally terrific.
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2/29/2020 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leap Year Melot Night (Bobby Van's on Park, NYC): Opened, but not decanted for almost 60 minutes before pouring. I had this as part of a Merlot tasting with my wine group. Disappointing for the price point. Nice wine, very refined, especially compared to the other Merlots in the tasting. Really no better than the 2013 Substance Merlot that followed it. Overpriced for my tastes. A quick note: I had meant to bring the 2013, but couldn't find it in my cellar. I just realized for 2013, Larkmead changed the color of the Firebelle label!
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2/21/2020 - B&T Likes this wine:
Great bottle! Significant depth to the nose, ending in dark cherry liquor. Luscious and full bodied, with bright fruits and great structure. Style is a marriage of old and new world. Drinking great, but clearly just coming into it's own. This will drink well for the next 5-10 years. Another stellar effort from Dan Petroski.
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1/1/2020 - D3S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine, I would recommend at least an hour decant if consumed in near future. Wine improved significantly after about an hour in the glass.
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12/26/2019 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent! Great balance of fruit, charcoal.
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11/26/2019 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
I'm with MSUWright on this one. The last bottle of 2010 Firebelle was one of my top wines of the year and was just awesome. This fell flat. I just thought it was disjointed and lacking the merlot character that makes this so unique. I need to check the mix to see if they tweaked the mix more this year. Not bad by any means so still giving a 90 but just kind of heavy.
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11/23/2019 - Livermore Dan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big deep chocolate taste. A loose wine with earthy tones. Full bodied. Chewy. Rich with some cherry.
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7/31/2019 - domco wrote:
Dark fruits, touch of vanilla, lengthy finish. Seemed a little bigger/bolder than what I usually think of with Firebelle... perhaps the vintage? I think in a pretty nice drinking window now, not sure I'd try and age long term.
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6/28/2019 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 94 Points
8 hour decant, lush blackberry, full bodied without and hard edges.
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12/17/2018 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped 'n poured in a NYC restaurant with my wine group. It was the final wine (and the youngest) of the night. While not the WOTN, it was enjoyed by all. Blueberry notes on the nose. Medium length finish.
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12/8/2018 - xuaeinw wrote: 91 Points
Ready to drink now. Didn't need too much time to open up.
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11/28/2018 - msuwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Me: Say something, I'm giving up on you.
Wine: [silence]
OK, I don't generally talk to - or sing about - my wine, but this earthy and damp Merlot-based blend has been frustrating for, oh, three and a half years, so I figured it was time for some random song quotations. In 2015, I was optimistic, if a bit puzzled about the wine's backwardness (4/15 - 91 points). Two years later, I thought it had improved, but it still seemed brambly and tannic (8/17 - 93 points). Now, at a time when 2012s are generally singing, I give up: regardless of how much I loved past vintages, I'm just not that into the 2012.
Cherry red in color and medium in body, the wine offers aromas of peppercorn, red licorice, and cloves. Tastes of boysenberry, leather, baking spices, and cocoa powder, with a savory and grainy finish. This isn't as dry or backward as before, but it still hasn't resolved itself - something that, like world peace or NorCal statehood, I'm confident saying will never happen. Blend of 54% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 13% Petit Verdot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% alcohol.
I loved the Larkmead 2012 portfolio: the Solari and Lark were mind-blowing, followed by the LMV and then the Cabernet. This is the exception. I loved the Firebelle in 2009 and 2010, for example, but the 2012 can be summed up in one word, which I think is the ultimate dismissal of a wine that you want to like but just can't: meh.
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9/9/2018 - AAJR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed over 3 days.
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1/28/2018 - ciesel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking nicely with a little decant. Continued to improve. Dont think this is a long ager, but at least another five. Accessible now.
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12/16/2017 - JHalvorson Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had this one opened at Mancini's, an iconic steak house on W. 7th in St. Paul. A great wine.
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9/18/2017 - BrownCellar wrote: 93 Points
Huge bouquet filled with ripe black fruits. Banking Spice, Toast and Ripe Plums and BlackBerries, leather and full body, delicious and powerful, especially once the wine has opened and has been at temperature for a day or so.
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8/30/2017 - msuwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has softened and deepened in the two years since I tasted it last (4/15 - 91 points), but it still tastes backward for a Merlot-based 2012 blend - a problem that will likely be solved with time. I have adored this wine in the past, but this vintage is proving harder to love than I expected, even after 2-3 hours of decanting.
Ruby red in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry and charcoal. The taste is where the wine has evolved: notes of boysenberry, dark chocolate, leather, and cedar, with a finish that still carries some brambly tannins that coat (and dry out) the mouth. Blend of 54% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 13% Petit Verdot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.7% alcohol. The wall of tannins has come down in the past few years, but it is still there: my guess (and hope) is that this will shine in 2018 or 2019.
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8/20/2017 - Troon wrote: 91 Points
Opened this bottle to see if it's worth the continued price increases. The wine has been in my cellar since release. I decanted it for two hours. It took another hour to really open up. There are still a lot of tannins, and I believe the wine has a good 10 years left in it. I got red and black fruit on the nose. I thought there was blue fruit on the palate once it started showing life. The finish was medium. The wine is really good. I'm just torn on it compared to other wines available at $125 for the current release. I also have the 2013 and 2014.
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8/20/2017 - BrownCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purchased at the 2012 picnic at the vineyard, I was very excited to finally pull the cork and taste this complex sleeping beauty - toast and baking spices at the entry and ripe red fruit on the palate, hints of plums and cherry. This wine is well worth opening now and should be terrific as it ages. I recommend that you allow this to open up for a bit prior to sampling, it will compliment the journey.
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8/12/2017 - jgkost Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice with subtle red fruit and wood on the nose. A bit acidic in the mouth which mellowed a bit as it opened but not enough. A very nice wine but as with most recent Larkmeads, the QPR continues to diminish...
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7/27/2017 - MangieSr wrote:
To celebrate "0" for Papa Wager! :)
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6/8/2017 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very nice bottle. This is getting better through the years like a wine should. IF you have this vintage, you can definitely start drinking now. you can even hold it the next 5 years, and it would still be great.
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4/8/2017 - xuaeinw wrote: 92 Points
Needs to be decanted for hours before drinking.
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3/25/2017 - Ben&Sarah Likes this wine:
A bit closed even after an hour in the glass. Decanted and opened up quite a bit. Still young. Not Larkmead's best but still quite good. Saving my remaining two bottle for a couple years
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2/12/2017 - fats1976 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I was a tad underwhelmed with this wine, as I expect more complexity and fullness with Larkmead. Good wine, but I agree with the earlier note re QPR. This wine has a bit of a softer mouthfeel, with integrated fruit, but it also seemed a bit closed. Nice finish. With more cellar time, I could see it improving.
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10/25/2016 - Chateau Megan wrote:
Not bad. Needed to open up over an hour
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10/15/2016 - redrules wrote: 95 Points
Fully integrated tannins, upfront balance of red and black fruit. Great mid-palate tannins and long lingering finish through-out. Seemless transition to finish.
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9/17/2016 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is still not fully integrated, but when it finally does it's going to be quite tasty. I'm holding on to the rest of my allocation for at least another 1-2 years.
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5/21/2016 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Drank at a friends, no detailed notes. Fairly soft and approachable, with rich fruits. Doesn't seem to have a ton of structure. Similarly, it's not the most complex wine. Serviceable, even good. But not something I'd rush out to replace at its $100 tariff. QPRs like this could turn me toward artisanal cocktails;)
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5/21/2016 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Drank at a friends, no detailed notes. Fairly soft and approachable, with rich fruits. Doesn't seem to have a ton of structure. Similarly, it's not the most complex wine. Serviceable, even good. But not something I'd rush out to replace at its $100 tariff.
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4/28/2016 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quite approachable now even thought it has great potential. The strong merlot base comes through. Look forward to trying the next one in a few years
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4/18/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 92 Points
Dark berries, current fruits, good extraction and elegance. I'm not really hot on blends but this is tasting better than I expected. For the money however, there are better choices out there.
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1/31/2016 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 91 Points
A really good blend, which you can taste the blueberry, blackberry, and plum. It had aromas of soft settle ripe fruit. This was a great bottle over 2 days
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1/10/2016 - SABRCW Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great now, but wait, there's more! Should age very well!
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11/30/2015 - csimm wrote: 90 Points
Larkmead Tasting (Larkmead, Napa): Tasted at Larkmead alongside the Solari, Salon, and the standard Cabernet.
Though this was a "fine" example of a classic red blend, I found it to be my least favorite overall in the lineup. Notes that initially I found unique and somewhat interesting upon the first attack (damp earth, black cherry, rhubarb), quickly became a bit confusing and disjointed. The interplay between the PV and the Malbec hit odd registers for me, like a Primus song (it is technically correct, but it never really amounts to music I actually want to listen to).
Some of this I chalk up to personal preference, so the 90 points was given with that understanding. My personal palate would have scored this lower, frankly. A bit of a miss for me, and the QPR is a little silly given the quality in the bottle.
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9/17/2015 - Roentgen Ray Likes this wine: 93 Points
one of the Merlot based wines tasted to date. Structured, floral, graphite and minerality.
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7/9/2015 - Proof_Of_Life Likes this wine: 93 Points
I got talked into opening this way too early. The book "Good to Great"; that will be this wine in a couple of years.
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5/18/2015 - Wineshington wrote: 91 Points
Too young, needs lots of time.
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4/20/2015 - msuwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
An intriguing Merlot-based blend, but needs time for tannins to integrate and subside. Decanted for an hour. Dark red, with nose of chocolate and cherry. Powerful tastes of dark fruits (e.g., blackberry, blueberry), with strong secondary notes of graphite, cocoa, and dust. 14.7% alcohol. Promising fruit, but a lot is hiding behind the wall of tannin. Give it time: based on drinking plenty of Firebelles over the years, I think this will surely improve.
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3/27/2015 - redrules wrote: 94 Points
I wanted to hate it for $100. But unfortunately, Larkmead delivered. Should be priced at 75-80 though. Finesse, laid back, presence of an expensive French Bordeaux. Structure, balance, dark fruit, composure, nuances. It's all there.
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