Medium garnett with a medium intensity developing aromas of raspberry blackberry violet Cedar mushroom eucalyptus and a little funk. The cedar and eucalyptus predominate with the raspberry close behind. This wine has high alcohol, medium acidity, medium plus tannins, and a medium finish. This wine has developing flavors of raspberry, blackberry, violets, cedar, nutmeg, coffee, cedar, mushrooms. This is a good wine that can be drunk now in for the next five years.
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After a double-decanting, I tasted it at 15 min, at 1 hour, and at 3 hours. At first, I was thinking it just needed some time to open up. But at the 1-hour mark, I decided something else was to blame. I thought (and partly still think) that the bottle was just a Bordeaux blend in its "dumb period" - I mean talk about muted aromatic notes — I don't think there was one obvious chemical/odor in the nose. But after reading the other reviews on CT, I think its either just a meh bottle or its over the hill (in its case, an anthill). Overall, slightly disappointed. Then again, I guess, now I know the reason that there is little demand at auction for 2011 Napas.
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P & P. Paired with medallions of beef and baked stuffed mushrooms. Very good, but simple and short. Very poor QPR. I think the vintners did their best with a challenging vintage, but one can certainly do much better for ~US$60.
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Nice up front fruit. Soft with a nice rounded mouthfeel. Finishes short but does carry through the mouth Not much complexity a nice effort though for 2011
Ready now
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Didn't notice much difference from 2011 Firebelle . . .not dissapointed just surprised. Perhaps would have benefited from holding a bit longer and decanting.
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A solid wine in a difficult vintage, this is lighter than the typical Larkmead - less fruit, same gravel and cedar, won't impress the company, but good for a weekday. Dark purple in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry, menthol, and asparagus. Tastes of dark chocolate, black currant, black olive, crushed rock, and green pepper, with a tannic but brief finish. 13.9% alcohol. Drink now. This second wine gives what the vintage provided: decent but not deep fruit, moderate ripeness, and an overall thinner profile.
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After a long time of airing, this was very smooth with good balance, medium tannins and medium acid. Very easy to drink with good fruit, mostly red fruits.
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Notes after 90 min decant. Restrained nose of cherry, black currant, and toasty oak with slight vanilla notes. It's initially smooth as you sip it, but it's got some slightly bitter tannins. Its lite/medium bodied, and shows mostly Red and darker fruits. It's ok- just not compelling.
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Cherry, with a bit of astringency, but overall nice. Good wine but limited by vintage. Pedigree does show through and while I wouldn't stock my cellar with this, I enjoyed the wine
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Not stellar, muted and clumsy. Maybe needs more time? Or maybe another weak 2011 wine? No change on 2nd night either. Will hold others for a while and hope for improvement.
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Decanted half the bottle for about 30 minutes and then started drinking. It took a little bit longer for it to open up. Solid wine that I did enjoy, but definitely not as good as other Larkmead vintages for sure. Certainly better buys out there, but tasty nonetheless.
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DRINK NOW !!! I bought a case back in 2005 and have been enjoying a bottle every year or so since. We opened our second to last this evening at our lake house. i a,m sorry to say that this wine is gone on to the downhill slide. In the last couple of years this wine drank like a decent bordeaux but everything is quickly fading away.
If anyone needs confirmation that 2011 was a tough vintage, this is it. For me, Larkmead is about as good as it gets, and this is not very good. I'm glad that given the other (high) scores others are getting pleasure from this. But I'm glad that of the 80 or so bottles of Larkmead I have in stock that this was a solo.
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For a 2011 Napa Cab, this was pretty good. The nose certainly doesn't overpower like the Solaris do and on the early sips I definitely detected a off-tasting herbaceous note. After 30 minutes, this started to drink pretty well. Every 2011 Napa Cab I've tasted clearly lacks that "oomph" factor. They're light and drinkable, without a lot of complexity, but they pale in comparison to the 2010s and 2012s.
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Not drinking side by side but from memory has very similar nose and palate as the regular cab bottling from 2011. Good wine with cassis and spice dominating but quite shy overall. Dd the best they could with a poor vintage. Not great QPR. If this was half the price I would be satisfied.
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5/28/2022 - lewisrise wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnett with a medium intensity developing aromas of raspberry blackberry violet Cedar mushroom eucalyptus and a little funk. The cedar and eucalyptus predominate with the raspberry close behind. This wine has high alcohol, medium acidity, medium plus tannins, and a medium finish. This wine has developing flavors of raspberry, blackberry, violets, cedar, nutmeg, coffee, cedar, mushrooms. This is a good wine that can be drunk now in for the next five years.
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7/28/2021 - bmartz1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruit is balanced, still shorter on the finish. Red leather and earth. Stil punching
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5/7/2021 - VinoGeeko wrote: 91 Points
After a double-decanting, I tasted it at 15 min, at 1 hour, and at 3 hours. At first, I was thinking it just needed some time to open up. But at the 1-hour mark, I decided something else was to blame. I thought (and partly still think) that the bottle was just a Bordeaux blend in its "dumb period" - I mean talk about muted aromatic notes — I don't think there was one obvious chemical/odor in the nose. But after reading the other reviews on CT, I think its either just a meh bottle or its over the hill (in its case, an anthill). Overall, slightly disappointed. Then again, I guess, now I know the reason that there is little demand at auction for 2011 Napas.
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2/21/2021 - MPLehman wrote:
It had gone bad in the cellar
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3/6/2020 - bmartz1 wrote:
A little short but not abnormally so. Less fruit. Well developed
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2/8/2019 - prism wrote: 89 Points
P & P. Paired with medallions of beef and baked stuffed mushrooms. Very good, but simple and short. Very poor QPR. I think the vintners did their best with a challenging vintage, but one can certainly do much better for ~US$60.
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10/1/2018 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice up front fruit. Soft with a nice rounded mouthfeel.
Finishes short but does carry through the mouth
Not much complexity a nice effort though for 2011
Ready now
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10/22/2017 - Wine Boy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Didn't notice much difference from 2011 Firebelle . . .not dissapointed just surprised. Perhaps would have benefited from holding a bit longer and decanting.
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8/8/2017 - dontime wrote:
Time. All the valley floor 2011's need is time.
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2/11/2017 - dlcass wrote: 90 Points
OK. Needs time in glass or decanter. A little tight. Nice CA cabernet; but not special. Likely can drink other bottles.
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11/29/2016 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Improved since last bottle, which was a couple years ago. Not as muted, more interesting. No hurry to drink these.
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9/5/2016 - msuwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
A solid wine in a difficult vintage, this is lighter than the typical Larkmead - less fruit, same gravel and cedar, won't impress the company, but good for a weekday. Dark purple in color, medium in body, nose of black cherry, menthol, and asparagus. Tastes of dark chocolate, black currant, black olive, crushed rock, and green pepper, with a tannic but brief finish. 13.9% alcohol. Drink now. This second wine gives what the vintage provided: decent but not deep fruit, moderate ripeness, and an overall thinner profile.
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5/15/2016 - JSPuskar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good red. Big on the palate, lots of dark fruit and some chocolate and spice.
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7/5/2015 - ciesel wrote: 91 Points
Continue to enjoy this wine. Not a fruit bomb, and low alcohol for Napa. Interesting wine that is nicely balanced.
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6/21/2015 - wirelesswine wrote:
Solid wine, but disappointing at the price point. Fairly lean for a Larkmead, but some decent balance. Just not very exciting.
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6/6/2015 - ciesel wrote: 90 Points
Very good Napa cab. Nicely balanced. Low alcohol for Napa. Very European in style.
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10/12/2014 - srshane Likes this wine: 91 Points
After a long time of airing, this was very smooth with good balance, medium tannins and medium acid. Very easy to drink with good fruit, mostly red fruits.
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7/29/2014 - uncle al Likes this wine: 89 Points
Young but a very nice red blend. Very drinkable now with red/dark fruit.
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7/22/2014 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 89 Points
Notes after 90 min decant. Restrained nose of cherry, black currant, and toasty oak with slight vanilla notes. It's initially smooth as you sip it, but it's got some slightly bitter tannins. Its lite/medium bodied, and shows mostly Red and darker fruits. It's ok- just not compelling.
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7/7/2014 - K28226 wrote: 91 Points
Cherry, with a bit of astringency, but overall nice. Good wine but limited by vintage. Pedigree does show through and while I wouldn't stock my cellar with this, I enjoyed the wine
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7/3/2014 - Coachron13 wrote: 87 Points
Not stellar, muted and clumsy. Maybe needs more time? Or maybe another weak 2011 wine? No change on 2nd night either. Will hold others for a while and hope for improvement.
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6/22/2014 - srshane Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really opened up after a solid hour in the glass. Soft tannins, black fruit.
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5/25/2014 - Frank_A_M wrote: 88 Points
Clear, deep red color, spice, dark chocolate, well balanced, medium to light tannins, smooth on the backend.
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5/16/2014 - flwinos wrote: 90 Points
Decanted half the bottle for about 30 minutes and then started drinking. It took a little bit longer for it to open up. Solid wine that I did enjoy, but definitely not as good as other Larkmead vintages for sure. Certainly better buys out there, but tasty nonetheless.
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5/9/2014 - JHalvorson wrote:
DRINK NOW !!! I bought a case back in 2005 and have been enjoying a bottle every year or so since. We opened our second to last this evening at our lake house. i a,m sorry to say that this wine is gone on to the downhill slide. In the last couple of years this wine drank like a decent bordeaux but everything is quickly fading away.
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3/28/2014 - 97edwardc Does not like this wine: 82 Points
If anyone needs confirmation that 2011 was a tough vintage, this is it. For me, Larkmead is about as good as it gets, and this is not very good. I'm glad that given the other (high) scores others are getting pleasure from this. But I'm glad that of the 80 or so bottles of Larkmead I have in stock that this was a solo.
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3/20/2014 - srshane wrote: 90 Points
Better after 30-60 minutes
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3/6/2014 - George Lopez Likes this wine: 91 Points
For a 2011 Napa Cab, this was pretty good. The nose certainly doesn't overpower like the Solaris do and on the early sips I definitely detected a off-tasting herbaceous note. After 30 minutes, this started to drink pretty well. Every 2011 Napa Cab I've tasted clearly lacks that "oomph" factor. They're light and drinkable, without a lot of complexity, but they pale in comparison to the 2010s and 2012s.
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2/9/2014 - Frank_A_M wrote: 91 Points
Well balanced, medium tannins, nice dinner wine.
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12/27/2013 - purpleteeeth wrote: 89 Points
Not drinking side by side but from memory has very similar nose and palate as the regular cab bottling from 2011. Good wine with cassis and spice dominating but quite shy overall. Dd the best they could with a poor vintage. Not great QPR. If this was half the price I would be satisfied.
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