I haven't had as many opportunities as I would have liked over the years to sample winemaker Dan Petroski's wines from Larkmead, but tasting a couple of recent releases reminds me that Mr. Petroski crafts some of the best balanced, minerally wines in Napa Valley. There aren't dozens of wineries that consistently meet Napa's opulent fruit with proper restraint and truly precise construction the way labels like Dalla Valle and Spottswoode do. Larkmead is definitely on that short list.
Larkmead 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($100) Wow, this is stunning! Lucid, vibrant and elegant, minerally with tangy red currant, black cherry, gravel, blackberry flavors. it is such a graceful, but sunny wine. The oak is beautifully integrated and subtle. So fine. Great length, good acidity, purity, and great fruit. Ultra-clean and delicious. (96 Points)
Larkmead 2016 Dr. Olmo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($200) This is a bold wine, but beautifully balanced from every angle. The grapes come from older vines (15+ years) planted wholly on Cortina (gravelly alluvial soil). There's a bit of cassis in the nose, as well as licorice and tobacco. Overall, the flavors skew a bit to the red side with delicious raspberry compote, plum, blueberry pie, white pepper, and it has a pronounced minerally grip on the very long finish. A sublime Napa Cabernet with a long life ahead of it. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1,467 cases produced. (97 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
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