Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
ark red with ruby tones. Aromas of black raspberry, kirsch, mocha and graphite are lifted by a strong floral topnote and complicated by some oaky torrefaction. Plush, rich and deep, with its concentrated black fruit flavors currently muted by a medicinal menthol element. Plenty of texture and sweetness here but the wine is in a somewhat monolithic stage today. The building tannins currently cut off the wine's fruit a bit on the slightly aggressive finish. This bottle suffered by being tasted after the pair of 2010s but its underlying rocky minerality suggests that there's much more to come. Incidentally, Larkmead finished harvesting by the end of September in 2009 and thus escaped the impact of the rainstorms in early October. (15.6% alcohol)
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.