A beautiful Napa cab. Nosecof light dark fruit - cherry and blackberry. Taste followed with beautiful acidic flavors of red and dark cherry and cassis. Finish was spectacular with the soft tannins and it’s acidic balance. Beautiful wine.
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Very similar to previous tasting note, dark fruit, lush, creamy yet with sufficient lift and savoury undertones to keep everything in balance, spicy mid-palate 93++
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Warm cassis, plum, blackcurrant, sage, bitter chocolate, bay leaves and baking spices. The palate is medium to full bodied with dark warm berry fruit, cacao, dusty tannins and savoury spices, the mid-palate feels reserved, warm and spicy, finishing medium length. Certainly this is Calistoga, with the warm dark fruit and slight lack of freshness, a solid Napa Cabernet.
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Aromas of cool black fruits, tobacco leaf and dusty earth. The palate reveals a core of ripe plum followed by graceful notes of coffee and pencil lead. Soft, silky tannins on the medium-short finish.
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Green pepper on the nose. Too subtle fruit, high acid, medium tannins and a quick and disappointing end to the tasting. Perhaps this is way too young but was a letdown nonetheless. One bottle left, which I will hold.
14-Jan-2023: I’m coming back to this review 10 months later because we’ve had a run of 2018 Napa Wines - especially when we were there in November and talked to sone of the wineries - that the vintage generally just tastes ‘off’. I guess this wine and others are going through puberty and I’m revising my review - not scoring and moving from ‘don’t like’ to ‘neutral’. Any similar experiences?
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I know I should be holding this longer, but I had to try a bottle. It was fantastic. Soft and lush, without being jammy. Really nice bottle of Cabernet. Glad I've got three more in the cellar.
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This is my favorite Larkmead Cabernet in the early going since the 2015, as it offers an incredible core of ripe fruit with an earthy and pure frame. After the early (and more ripe) days of Andy Smith, Dan Petroski took this label into more subtle (and less sweet) dimensions. The 2018 seems like a fitting finale for this process: it offers the generosity and fullness of the early years, with the precision and earthiness of the more recent vintages. Old World, New World, whatever, this is a tasty and unique Napa wine for the price.
Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine offers enticing aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, trail dust, and peppercorn. The flavors are chiseled and earthy, with notes of boysenberry, espresso, dried oregano, and graphite, with a finish that carries grippy and full tannins (read: no TRB-watermelon-sugar-high here). Decant two hours, but ideally wait a few years. Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.3% alcohol. 94 for now, with upside in 2023 or later.
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11/15/2023 - Darwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful Napa cab. Nosecof light dark fruit - cherry and blackberry. Taste followed with beautiful acidic flavors of red and dark cherry and cassis. Finish was spectacular with the soft tannins and it’s acidic balance. Beautiful wine.
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8/17/2023 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very similar to previous tasting note, dark fruit, lush, creamy yet with sufficient lift and savoury undertones to keep everything in balance, spicy mid-palate 93++
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11/5/2022 - UKCatFan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark earth and tobacco on the nose. Tannins somewhat refined. Dark fruit, well balanced. Nice cab.
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7/17/2022 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Warm cassis, plum, blackcurrant, sage, bitter chocolate, bay leaves and baking spices. The palate is medium to full bodied with dark warm berry fruit, cacao, dusty tannins and savoury spices, the mid-palate feels reserved, warm and spicy, finishing medium length. Certainly this is Calistoga, with the warm dark fruit and slight lack of freshness, a solid Napa Cabernet.
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6/8/2022 - ElJefeTX Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aromas of cool black fruits, tobacco leaf and dusty earth. The palate reveals a core of ripe plum followed by graceful notes of coffee and pencil lead. Soft, silky tannins on the medium-short finish.
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3/18/2022 - Glenn228 wrote:
Green pepper on the nose. Too subtle fruit, high acid, medium tannins and a quick and disappointing end to the tasting. Perhaps this is way too young but was a letdown nonetheless. One bottle left, which I will hold.
14-Jan-2023: I’m coming back to this review 10 months later because we’ve had a run of 2018 Napa Wines - especially when we were there in November and talked to sone of the wineries - that the vintage generally just tastes ‘off’. I guess this wine and others are going through puberty and I’m revising my review - not scoring and moving from ‘don’t like’ to ‘neutral’. Any similar experiences?
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2/5/2022 - Chuck C Likes this wine: 95 Points
I know I should be holding this longer, but I had to try a bottle. It was fantastic. Soft and lush, without being jammy. Really nice bottle of Cabernet. Glad I've got three more in the cellar.
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10/21/2021 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This is my favorite Larkmead Cabernet in the early going since the 2015, as it offers an incredible core of ripe fruit with an earthy and pure frame. After the early (and more ripe) days of Andy Smith, Dan Petroski took this label into more subtle (and less sweet) dimensions. The 2018 seems like a fitting finale for this process: it offers the generosity and fullness of the early years, with the precision and earthiness of the more recent vintages. Old World, New World, whatever, this is a tasty and unique Napa wine for the price.
Garnet in color and medium in body, the wine offers enticing aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, trail dust, and peppercorn. The flavors are chiseled and earthy, with notes of boysenberry, espresso, dried oregano, and graphite, with a finish that carries grippy and full tannins (read: no TRB-watermelon-sugar-high here). Decant two hours, but ideally wait a few years. Blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. 14.3% alcohol. 94 for now, with upside in 2023 or later.
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10/2/2021 - 559Cheers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasting good. Though young, nori, nice fruit and viscosity. Not overly tannic and still primary.
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