Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is a smaller production cuvée and is (as always) all Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged in 90% new French oak. Its similar inky purple color is followed by a beautiful nose of pure cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with notes of dark chocolate, violets, crushed herbs, and plenty of chocolaty, earthy minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully concentrated, it stays focused, tight and backward on the palate, yet is loaded with potential. It's going to reward 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 25+. Rating: 95+
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James Suckling
This rolls across the palate with a nimble, firm tannin structure that is beautiful and focused. Medium to full body. Savory finish. Hints of walnuts, dried tea and tobacco. Drink after 2021.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Cabernet Sauvignon from a low-yielding part of the estate is deeply aromatic and complex in juicy, rich layers of red and blue berries. Lean yet powerful, the tannins take on a grip that offers additional structure and firmness, with a gravelly, earthy finish. Enjoy 2027–2030.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Larkmead Solari Cabernet Sauvignon shows almost unrestrained power, yet it stays finely structured for extended cellaring. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits an abundance of black fruit, anise, and oak. Pair it with grilled short ribs. (Tasted: June 22, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Dark and winey, offering a mix of steeped black currant, fig and boysenberry notes, infused liberally with dark tea and licorice root flavors. Features a gutsy, juicy finish. This will need a little time. Best from 2022 through 2033.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Black Label) is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in Darnajou French oak, 90% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it is profoundly scented of baked blueberries, prunes and crème de cassis with touches of kirsch, cedar chest, menthol and bay leaves plus a waft of charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of chewy, rugged tannins and lively freshness supporting the dense, muscular black fruit, finishing long and savory. Rating: 92+
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.