While this wine is over 10 years old at this point, it still has a ton more aging potential. That said, it was still delicious with tobacco and earthy tones with lots of tannins.
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Dark fruit, black cherries, cassis, pepper, a bit of menthol, plum, and generally ripe flavors on the nose. Big tannins on the palate with quite a bit of acidity, followed by flavors of more black fruit, cherry, forest notes, earth, and raisins. Good finish. This probably needs another 10 years or so. High quality, but currently missing some nuance. 93+
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Color: Dark red/black; Nose: Pencil lead, black currant, leather, eucalyptus; Taste: Big in the mouth, highly extracted black fruit, chewy, med-high acid; Finish: Long, medium tannins, a touch harsh and hot- 14.9% abv and it shows.
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I thought this wine was absolutely stunning, complex, complete and complicated. By far the best wine tasted in a while. Given the bottle is 9 years old at this point their could be bottle variation, but this bottle was outstanding. I remember it when released it as a big ugly, meaty, overly tannic wine. I cellared mine, excited to start drinking them.
Black fruit, cedar, herbal notes, cassis, blueberry jam, chocolate, spice, tannins were supple and well balanced. A+ (99)
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Nose of pencil, cedar, dark fruit of blackberry and cassis. Flavors of dark cherry, cassis and blackberry, chocolate and some good mineral essence. Finish was dry and long with black cherry, cedar and chocolate.
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Agree with previous notes. Decanted 90 minutes. Nose was lively with fruit and baking spices. Unfortunately a nice palate of front-loaded black currant, black cherry, and cacao transitioned to an unbalanced and unpleasant finish that was bitter. Perhaps I’d be more forgiving for a bottle 1/2 the price.
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Save your $ and spend it elsewhere, it was a decent wine, actually no negatives other than it needing a day to open up. Bottom line, for upwards of $175, you should expect and get a lot more, glad I only have one more bottle
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24 Napa Reds: All tasted double blind. Brief impressions. This was one of the weakest wines of the evening. The theme of the evening was a competition of two groups about bringing “Napa wines which are in a very good drinking spot right now” with us blind tasters as jury. As there were a lot of wines, prolonged decanting was not an option. I was really surprised that somebody would bring a 2013 to such a tasting as I hardly ever had a 2013 which is remotely open and ready (confirmed with 4 out of the 24 wines being from 2013 and none of them being really ready). Very unfortunate choice, this Solari was muted, astringent and not harmonious. You could sense that there is a lot of substance but this wine is begging for more patience.
Group score (23 participants): 88.4 Group rank: 24 out of 24 wines
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Napa battle (Napa Grill, Zurich): Tasted blind, double-decanted. When tasting this I was not sure if this was just an awkwardly aged nose or outright faulty. Very tannic and by all means not even remotely integrated palate. There is a chance that a proper decant could improve things, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Here I found savory bouquet, showing depths of red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, earthy mineral tones, and hints of cedar dust. At one moment, it would come across as subtle and withdrawn, yet the next, flamboyant and powerful. Silky textures defined the palate, ushering in savory crushed raspberries, laced with purple florals and licorice, yet lacking the energy and verve of the best vintages. The finish was long with staining dark red fruits, savory herbs and florals, leaving a coating of grippy tannin, yet I still found myself craving more energy here. Unfortunately the unique bouquet of the 2013, helped by a small dose of Petite Verdot in this vintage, set the stage for a performance that the palate and finish simply couldn’t live up to.
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This wine has developed and integrated into a dense and haunting Napa Cabernet full of character, flavor, and promise. No longer the tannic monster I tasted (and doubted) about three years ago (11/16 - 93 points), the wine's fruit has emerged and its tannins have subsided (at least somewhat). It’s still dense and brooding, and it needs another few years to truly unfold - but you can now get a glimpse of what the wine could be... and it could be tremendous.
Purple in color and medium in body, the wine offers evocative aromas of fresh blueberry, fresh leather, eucalyptus, and fresh embers. Tastes of black cherry, boysenberry, cocoa powder, and espresso beans, with a finish that still has grippy tannins but also has far more glide and freshness than several years ago. Blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. If the fruit continues to emerge, its purity could be astounding, given that it would be supported by real tannin and acidity. I'll hold my other bottle until at least 2021. 94-95 for now, with upside.
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Really refined. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Really nice! Big mouthful of austere dark fruit turning to minerality and muted pencil lead. Really balanced and sophisticated. High quality fruit and beautifully crafted. I would call it a Frenchman's Californian Cabernet. Priced a little higher than it should. I would pay a maximum of $150 for it.
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This was the best from my tastings, but still just ok -- for the price. It is a nice dark big boy, but not for the price. I don't know what happened at Larkmead, except they jacked the price up 30-50% and reduced the quality of the wine.
A complex, dense, and tannic wine that is likely to reward aging - and is nowhere near ready to drink. Garnet in color, full in body, nose of tar, charcoal, and leather, with a hint of black cherry. Dense tastes of boysenberry, gravel, charred wood, and eucalyptus, followed by a wall of tannins reminding me of a Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet. 14.9% alcohol. Give this at least two hours to decant, if not more. Blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Very little change in second day.
This wine is hard to figure at this point: it is either an exercise in patience, since it has to the density, complexity, and pedigree to evolve into something great (which is consistent with my experience with the 2012 and 2006) - or (big or) it is an exercise in futility, since it is so backward, heavy, and extracted that it may never come into its own. At the moment, I believe the former, despite my doubts about recent developments at Larkmead (where 2012 and 2013 have produced wines that are more backward, more extracted, and way more expensive). Bottom line, I'm not sure this is worth $200 - I hope it is - but it is definitely a wine that requires another two or three years, if not longer.
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Way too young, but not very exciting to me. Larkmead seems to be going more toward the European Bordeaux in their wine making style and that's not for me. With a lot of time, this will probably be very good (5-10 years or more?). The color was exciting and I anticipated greatness in view of the Parker score. Great, intense dark purple reddish color yet light on the palate. It looks to be intense and very extracted, but did not show on the taste. Let this one sleep for a long time.
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Also drank this with Dan the winemaker directly from the vat.
I did not enjoy as much as the lmv salon but that is just my preference for Cab Franc over Petit Verdot. Similarly full bodied with massive tannins. The Verdot is not yet as integrated. This will be a great wine and will no doubt have the 100 points Parker is indicating it will get
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3/3/2024 - billcarey20 Likes this wine: 94 Points
While this wine is over 10 years old at this point, it still has a ton more aging potential. That said, it was still delicious with tobacco and earthy tones with lots of tannins.
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1/12/2024 - Twarsaw wrote:
Really liked it. Drinks easy. Too fast.
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5/28/2023 - truthseekder1 wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit on nose and palate with moderate acidity and moderate tannins. Needs more aging in the hope of adding more complexity
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12/27/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruit, black cherries, cassis, pepper, a bit of menthol, plum, and generally ripe flavors on the nose. Big tannins on the palate with quite a bit of acidity, followed by flavors of more black fruit, cherry, forest notes, earth, and raisins. Good finish. This probably needs another 10 years or so. High quality, but currently missing some nuance. 93+
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7/27/2022 - pietrospano wrote: 89 Points
Color: Dark red/black; Nose: Pencil lead, black currant, leather, eucalyptus; Taste: Big in the mouth, highly extracted black fruit, chewy, med-high acid; Finish: Long, medium tannins, a touch harsh and hot- 14.9% abv and it shows.
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6/11/2022 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 99 Points
I thought this wine was absolutely stunning, complex, complete and complicated. By far the best wine tasted in a while. Given the bottle is 9 years old at this point their could be bottle variation, but this bottle was outstanding. I remember it when released it as a big ugly, meaty, overly tannic wine. I cellared mine, excited to start drinking them.
Black fruit, cedar, herbal notes, cassis, blueberry jam, chocolate, spice, tannins were supple and well balanced. A+ (99)
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3/19/2022 - Darwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nose of pencil, cedar, dark fruit of blackberry and cassis. Flavors of dark cherry, cassis and blackberry, chocolate and some good mineral essence. Finish was dry and long with black cherry, cedar and chocolate.
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10/30/2021 - cubswinws wrote: 95 Points
Just a touch better than the 2012
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11/8/2020 - JFS23 Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Agree with previous notes. Decanted 90 minutes. Nose was lively with fruit and baking spices. Unfortunately a nice palate of front-loaded black currant, black cherry, and cacao transitioned to an unbalanced and unpleasant finish that was bitter. Perhaps I’d be more forgiving for a bottle 1/2 the price.
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11/1/2020 - NapaBias Likes this wine: 90 Points
Save your $ and spend it elsewhere, it was a decent wine, actually no negatives other than it needing a day to open up. Bottom line, for upwards of $175, you should expect and get a lot more, glad I only have one more bottle
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10/14/2020 - Cailles wrote: 87 Points
24 Napa Reds: All tasted double blind. Brief impressions. This was one of the weakest wines of the evening. The theme of the evening was a competition of two groups about bringing “Napa wines which are in a very good drinking spot right now” with us blind tasters as jury. As there were a lot of wines, prolonged decanting was not an option. I was really surprised that somebody would bring a 2013 to such a tasting as I hardly ever had a 2013 which is remotely open and ready (confirmed with 4 out of the 24 wines being from 2013 and none of them being really ready). Very unfortunate choice, this Solari was muted, astringent and not harmonious. You could sense that there is a lot of substance but this wine is begging for more patience.
Group score (23 participants): 88.4
Group rank: 24 out of 24 wines
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10/1/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 87 Points
Napa battle (Napa Grill, Zurich): Tasted blind, double-decanted. When tasting this I was not sure if this was just an awkwardly aged nose or outright faulty. Very tannic and by all means not even remotely integrated palate. There is a chance that a proper decant could improve things, but I'm not holding my breath.
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1/21/2020 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
Here I found savory bouquet, showing depths of red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, earthy mineral tones, and hints of cedar dust. At one moment, it would come across as subtle and withdrawn, yet the next, flamboyant and powerful. Silky textures defined the palate, ushering in savory crushed raspberries, laced with purple florals and licorice, yet lacking the energy and verve of the best vintages. The finish was long with staining dark red fruits, savory herbs and florals, leaving a coating of grippy tannin, yet I still found myself craving more energy here. Unfortunately the unique bouquet of the 2013, helped by a small dose of Petite Verdot in this vintage, set the stage for a performance that the palate and finish simply couldn’t live up to.
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10/2/2019 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
This wine has developed and integrated into a dense and haunting Napa Cabernet full of character, flavor, and promise. No longer the tannic monster I tasted (and doubted) about three years ago (11/16 - 93 points), the wine's fruit has emerged and its tannins have subsided (at least somewhat). It’s still dense and brooding, and it needs another few years to truly unfold - but you can now get a glimpse of what the wine could be... and it could be tremendous.
Purple in color and medium in body, the wine offers evocative aromas of fresh blueberry, fresh leather, eucalyptus, and fresh embers. Tastes of black cherry, boysenberry, cocoa powder, and espresso beans, with a finish that still has grippy tannins but also has far more glide and freshness than several years ago. Blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. If the fruit continues to emerge, its purity could be astounding, given that it would be supported by real tannin and acidity. I'll hold my other bottle until at least 2021. 94-95 for now, with upside.
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3/20/2019 - redrules Likes this wine: 96 Points
Really refined. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Really nice! Big mouthful of austere dark fruit turning to minerality and muted pencil lead. Really balanced and sophisticated. High quality fruit and beautifully crafted. I would call it a Frenchman's Californian Cabernet. Priced a little higher than it should. I would pay a maximum of $150 for it.
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12/17/2018 - ciesel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours, but still could use time, although drank very well. Dark fruit and earth flavors. Loved it.
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11/21/2016 - #1Winelover wrote: 93 Points
This was the best from my tastings, but still just ok -- for the price. It is a nice dark big boy, but not for the price. I don't know what happened at Larkmead, except they jacked the price up 30-50% and reduced the quality of the wine.
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11/14/2016 - msuwine wrote: 93 Points
A complex, dense, and tannic wine that is likely to reward aging - and is nowhere near ready to drink. Garnet in color, full in body, nose of tar, charcoal, and leather, with a hint of black cherry. Dense tastes of boysenberry, gravel, charred wood, and eucalyptus, followed by a wall of tannins reminding me of a Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet. 14.9% alcohol. Give this at least two hours to decant, if not more. Blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Very little change in second day.
This wine is hard to figure at this point: it is either an exercise in patience, since it has to the density, complexity, and pedigree to evolve into something great (which is consistent with my experience with the 2012 and 2006) - or (big or) it is an exercise in futility, since it is so backward, heavy, and extracted that it may never come into its own. At the moment, I believe the former, despite my doubts about recent developments at Larkmead (where 2012 and 2013 have produced wines that are more backward, more extracted, and way more expensive). Bottom line, I'm not sure this is worth $200 - I hope it is - but it is definitely a wine that requires another two or three years, if not longer.
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10/24/2016 - Yack Man wrote: 92 Points
Way too young, but not very exciting to me. Larkmead seems to be going more toward the European Bordeaux in their wine making style and that's not for me. With a lot of time, this will probably be very good (5-10 years or more?). The color was exciting and I anticipated greatness in view of the Parker score. Great, intense dark purple reddish color yet light on the palate. It looks to be intense and very extracted, but did not show on the taste. Let this one sleep for a long time.
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9/26/2016 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 96 Points
Blackberries, cherries, cedar, minerality, pepper, tobacco, cocoa, cassis, herbal notes, big tannins. A/A+
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6/26/2015 - cab blends Likes this wine: 94 Points
Also drank this with Dan the winemaker directly from the vat.
I did not enjoy as much as the lmv salon but that is just my preference for Cab Franc over Petit Verdot. Similarly full bodied with massive tannins. The Verdot is not yet as integrated. This will be a great wine and will no doubt have the 100 points Parker is indicating it will get
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