2011 Firebelle

Larkmead is one of Napa Valley's historic wineries. Proprietors Kay Solari Baker and Cam Baker own some of the best and most prestigious vineyards in Napa Valley. Senior Winemaker Andy Smith and his Winemaker Dan Petroski faced the same challenges as everyone else in 2011. The biggest decision was when to pick, as the weather was changing constantly. Some of the Merlot came in before the rain, but the rest of the fruit came in after the second rain, which appears to have been too much to overcome. As a result, Larkmead did not bottle any of their top selections. There is no LMV Salon, Solari or Lark in 2011. All of those wines are back in 2012, however, and they are hugely appealing at this early stage. I also tasted two 2013s, from a year Smith calls the driest in 83 years, right off the skins. Those wines were dark, rich and powerful, with plenty of potential for the future. Readers who want to learn more about Larkmead might enjoy this short video shot with Andy Smith this past spring.

According to winemaker Andy Smith, the one really good thing here in 2011 was the estate's cabernet sauvignon; Larkmead sold off 30% of its wine in bulk. There will not be separate LMV Salon or Solari bottlings from 2011. The sauvignon blanc was barely two tons per acre due to rain during flowering, and the merlot crop was quite small too. The harvest took place over a very compact 17 days. Although Smith says that there are many "electric" chardonnays in Sonoma, the June rains there also resulted in thinner skins and lower phenolics. He has no reservations about 2010, which he described as "the best vintage across the board since I started in Napa Valley 15 years ago. I like herbs and savory complexity and freshness in my Bordeaux varieties, tobacco leaf and menthol." He went on: "The wines come across as dry because they're not plush and billowy. There's not a lot of California sunshine sweetness sitting over the wines. But I have a European perspective." Smith noted that the '10s were all rather herbaceous during their first year in barrel, but are now showing more complex tobacco and menthol character. The 2010 harvest of the red varieties at Larkmead was the latest ever, and the wines will need patience.