May 9, 2022 - How sweet when you wait, and wait, and it worked! Not sure this can get any better, but it’s drinking very well now, with a bit of Napa sweet chocolate, leather and black and dark fruits. Great viscous feel, lengthy finish. Evolved beautifully. Clearly my prior predictions were short sighted, or I was lucky here. Anyhow, now, for sure, drinking great now and who knows what’s to come
May 2, 2021 - Evolving Napa Cabernet 2002 Larkmead ($40 in 2006). Mid-brick, amber edges, viscous (14.7 alc.); big berry nose, ripe grapes, tobacco, cedar; mid-big body; softening tannins; emerging Cabernet fruit; long layered finish. w/flat iron steak. 17 UC Davis scale, 92 other scales.
November 6, 2019 - Purple in the center to a bricking rim. Black fruits and minerals. Tons of fruit still left. Smooth with little tannins left and a long long finish
Drink now or over the next year
July 14, 2019 - A real wow...no bricking,beautiful fruit...amazing !
April 25, 2019 - Quite amazing considering the $30 price point circa 2005, this wine is from a long lost era when Larkmead was stunningly undervalued. An intricate bouquet of plum brandy, creme de cassis, pencil shavings, pure cacao, and lavender oil. The palate is so well balanced with a still firmly structured style including rich dark fruit, sturdy yet approachable tannins, and vine ripened acidity. Remarkably youthful, this seems to have a human like aging curve as it is just entering into adulthood, give this another ten years to reach a prime drinking window.
January 1, 2019 - Last of 3 bottles. Good depth and balance. Drinking beautifully. 1st bottle in 2014 seemed a bit thin. 2nd bottle in 2016 showed much better depth. The last bottle was the best with fully mature fruit. Wish I had a couple more bottles to taste to see how the wine evolves.
November 22, 2018 - Ripe fruit, plums, tobacco, leather, and dark cassis notes on the nose. Quite sweet and rich on the palate with flavors of sweet plum, dark berries and lots of fruit. Medium tannins. Medium finish. Not bad, but disappointing, especially considering the price we paid at the winery. Too bad I have another bottle. Wife: 90
August 16, 2018 - Rich, ripe fruit with adequate sweetness. Tannins have softened considerably, and not much acid. Surprisingly pleasant and fruity at 16 years. Well liked by the tasting group. Definitely not out of its drinking window yet.
May 22, 2018 - Somewhat sharp tasting, slightly disappointing. Still within its drinking window. Tannins still there albeit softened. Reasonable fruit, not intense.
IIRC this same wine, when tasted a several years ago, was similar - a bit too sharp for the fruit and other elements.
April 5, 2018 - Orange at the rim still some cherry in the middle
Beginning to show its age but big full bodied and smooth lucious with many competing flavors but chocolate being the one that wins out
The best of the year for me so far have one bottle left and will be drinking it this year