Larkmead Vineyards isn’t new to the California Cabernet game. The Vineyard and winery have been around since the 1880’s, and the Solaris (the current owners) have owned the property since 1948. André Tchelistcheff is quoted as saying that in 1938 when 
he arrived in the Napa Valley, there were four “outstanding” wineries, “Inglenook, Beaulieu, Larkmead and Beringer.” That said, we don’t here much about the vineyard any more.
This may be because the vineyard, and certainly the winemaking, regime fell into decline in the 1970’s and 1980’s (when the rest of Napa was beginning it’s rapid ascension). But in the 1990’s Cam Baker (Katie Solari Baker’s Husband) began a vigorous vineyard and winery overhaul. He replanted nearly all of the vineyards, leaving only a rare 120 year old plot of Tocai Friuliano untouched, and began moving towards organic agriculture. The results were impressive, Larkmead fruit is now sought after for some of the best Napa wines, including Orin Swift’s The Prisoner, Covenant and Ramey’s Larkmead Vineyard Cabernet. Winemaker’s say that despite the relatively young age of the vines, there is something very special about the sight, which lies in the narrowest part of the valley, just beneath Howell Mountain (to which it’s fruit is often compared) and just South of Calistoga.
But what we’re concerned with is the Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet, and it is here that Cam Baker’s coup de grace becomes evident. Upon completing the replanting, a new, state of the art winery was built, and David Smith was hired as the winemaker in 1999. The results have been fantastic.
Don’t misunderstand, this is not some jammy, overoaked cult wine wannabe. This is a wine with breeding, with powerful elegant tannins, layered dusty red and black fruit, and a long, intriguing finish. It’s also going to age phenomenally. The wine is made of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 60% new French oak barrels. Try it with grilled steak, blue cheese, rack of lamb . . . you know the drill. Drink 2010 – 2020 (but it won’t dissapoint if you can’t wait)!
