Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 750ml

Product Info

The 2020 Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is a remarkably successful, estate-grown red wine from one of Calistoga's most historic sites. Facing a challenging, hot Napa Valley growing season, winemaker Avery Heelan successfully adapted by utilizing the estate's early-ripening plots, producing an elegant, freshly balanced bottling. It stands as the only red wine released by the estate for this vintage.

• Aroma: The bouquet opens with inviting aromas of perfumed violets, candied cherries, red plums, and warm vanilla spice, paired with underlying notes of dark cocoa, tobacco leaf, and crushed fresh mint. Deep aeration introduces hints of hot slate stone, leather, graphite, and dried herbs.
• Palate: Medium to full-bodied, leaning heavily toward elegance and linear grace over massive, brooding power. The entry brings great density and structural tension to the center of the wine, where a supple thread of Merlot adds plush roundness to the well-ripened red and black fruits. 
• Finish: Persistent, fresh, and savory. It finishes with a steady, lingering grip of firm but silky tannins, laced with bittersweet cocoa powder, a loamy earthiness, and worn leather. 

• Composition: A polished, classic blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. 
• Viticulture: Sourced exclusively from several of Larkmead's oldest estate vineyard blocks, where gravel-heavy soils naturally foster structural minerality and high natural acidity.
• Winemaking: All fruit was harvested early—fully completed prior to September 27, 2020. The wine was aged carefully for 16 months in new French oak barriques to support the core of fruit without overwhelming its delicate floral qualities. It is a limited-production run of roughly 2,400 cases. 

• Serving Tips: Serve at cool room temperature (16–18°C / 60–64°F). Given the grippy loamy notes on the back end, decanting for 1 to 2 hours is highly beneficial to allow the tightly wrapped red-fruit layers to fully unpack. 
• Food Pairings: Outstanding alongside rich, high-protein savory main courses:
  • Prime cut grilled ribeye or New York strip steaks topped with herbed compound butter.
  • Roasted leg of lamb rubbed with garlic and rosemary.
  • Wild mushroom tarts or earthy, slow-cooked lentil stews.
  • Aged hard cheeses like sharp cheddar or Gouda.