2019 Larkmead - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (750ml)

Larkmead Vineyards is one of Napa Valley's oldest family-owned estates, founded in 1895 in Calistoga and now stewarded by proprietors Cam and Kate Solari Baker, whose family bought the property in 1948. The 2019 vintage was crafted during a transition between winemakers, with Dan Petroski, who led the cellar for nearly a decade, handing the reins to Avery Heelan, who arrived with experience at Screaming Eagle. Larkmead's 115-acre estate is farmed organically and has long been a standard bearer for Cabernet Sauvignon in the region.

This bottling is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, drawn from parcels scattered across the Larkmead estate between the Vaca and Mayacamas mountain ranges. That range of exposures and soils, unusually varied for a Napa Valley floor property, lets different blocks contribute distinct layers of fruit and structure to the final blend. The 2019 growing season is widely considered one of the finest in recent Napa history, giving the wine both density and unusual finesse.

The wine opens with pomegranate, blackberry, leather, and cassis, layered with macerated cherry and warm baking spice. On the palate it shows real tension against a plush, velvety mid-palate, with notes of tobacco, dried herb, and oak carrying through a long, sophisticated finish. Structured yet already generous, it pairs well with a peppercorn-crusted ribeye, wild mushroom risotto, or duck breast with cherry reduction.