Winemaker Notes
Created from older vines (17+ years), this wine comes from an anomaly in the rocky A block - a patch of Bale loam surrounded by Cortina. This deeper, richer soil is sprinkled with cobbles and produces the most luxurious wine from the estate. The wine has a depth and concentration that is unrivaled from the property.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Their very small cuvée of 263 cases, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 The Lark exhibits plenty of sweet chocolate, roasted espresso, blackberry, cassis and white flowers and a long, dense, multi-layered mouthfeel that builds incrementally to a fabulous finish of close to a minute. The alcohol is 14.7% and the wine was aged 20 months in 80% new French oak prior to bottling. This is a stunner and a modern-day classic from Larkmead. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.
Rating: 96+
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.