2019 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley

2019 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

LARKMEAD

FIREBELLE
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley
The historic Larkmead estate was founded in 1895, making it one of the oldest family-owned properties in Napa Valley. The winery’s secret sauce lies in its vineyard, which borders the Napa River and Selby Creek at the conjunction point of two colluvial fans, where an accumulation of ancient riverbed gravel, clay, and loam, gives the wines a hillside-grown structure.
 
Firebelle gets its name from Lillie “Firebelle Lil” Hitchcock because of its extraordinary balance of elegance, softness, power, and expression. The 2019 growing season was perfect for Merlot which comprises 43% of the Firebelle blend, adding plush tannins and gorgeous aromatics with a backbone of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon giving concentration and balance.
 
LARKMEAD
FIREBELLE
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Combining 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot from the property, this is a showcase of savory earthiness and supple tannin. Inky dark, it offers a wealth of balanced red fruit, notes of tobacco, gun smoke and dried herb, with an understated elegance that shines.”
95 Points “Cellar Selection”
2018 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley

2018 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

LARKMEAD

2018 FIREBELLE
NAPA VALLEY

2018 Larkmead Firebelle Napa Valley
Strategically planted above two colluvial fans extending from the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges with 300 feet of ancient riverbed gravel beneath the topsoil, Larkmead’s 110-acre vineyard contains seven distinctive soil profiles, providing unique flavor characteristics in the fruit. The vineyard is planted with the most suitable varieties, clones, and rootstocks, creating the wide range of flavors and nuances that’s become a hallmark of Larkmead wines.
 
Merlot is grown in well-drained, rich loam soils full of clay and gravel, resulting in more plush density that enhances the softness of the wine. The winery’s super high-scoring Firebelle blend is based around a core of 75% Merlot, enriched with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, showing refined beauty, grace, and a substantial aging potential with its fine-grained tannins and exquisite balance.
 
LARKMEAD
2018 FIREBELLE
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $120
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Marrying 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is focused, soft and rounded in feel, with an underlying structure that should lend well to aging. It shows integrated notes of cedar, dried herb and slate that mix with a core of blueberry and plum. Lingering accents of nutmeg and cocoa nib mark the close….”
97 Points, #39 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2021
 
“Lovely aromas of tile, blackberries and plums with some lavender and violets, following through to a full body with chewy, round tannins that are layered into the pretty, not overly ripe fruit…”
96 Points
2017 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

LARKMEAD

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Above ground, Larkmead Vineyards is a masterpiece of sustainable farming with winemaking at the highest level. Still, it’s what’s beneath their vineyard that makes them a marvel of New World Cabernet production and genuinely unique. Planted above ancient riverbed gravel with a similar well-draining environment to Napa’s hillsides, Larkmead Vineyard produces powerful fruit with mesmeric complexity. Their 2017 release is a classic example of their vineyard’s identity, shown through the vintage’s lens, capturing their team’s drive, emotion, and combined expertise. 
 
Capturing the vineyard’s diversity by fermenting in multiple small lots, winemaker Dan Petroski’s intimate knowledge of the property shines in this wine. The vineyard borders Selby Creek and the Napa River, where an accumulation of ancient riverbed gravel, clay, and loam, formed the perfect canvas to cultivate grapes.
 
Utilizing a systems approach to farming, Nabor Camarena and viticulturist Kelly Maher farm Larkmeads Vineyard as a single component of the larger surrounding ecosystem, lending to the uniform balance of their wines.
 
LARKMEAD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“With 10% Merlot, this is a structured red that’s built by broad tannins but approachable in its youth. Earthy peat, dried herb, cedar and cigar box play against a depth of dark cherry, cassis and plum, while fresh acidity permeates beneath, making for a cohesive package.”
96 Points
 
“This is really subtle and complex with black truffles, blackberries, lavender and rosemary. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins with beautiful fruit. Linear and racy. Love the balance and finesse. Drink now or hold.”
94 Points