2009 Firebelle

Winemaker Andy Smith described the 2009 growing season as cool and 2010 as cold, pointing out that Larkmead's vineyards do well in late vintages. But crop levels were low in both years (in 2009 largely owing to problems during the flowering), and Larkmead has what Smith described as "unfulfilled potential in the marketplace." Vineyard redevelopment here has also held down production. The 2010 harvest of the red varieties took place between October 2 and 20, under mild conditions and following a hot week in late September. Rains then arrived on the 22nd, noted Smith, and lasted for a week. The Bordeaux varieties came in at Brix levels between 24.5 and 25.5, on the low side for this property. The two 2010s I tasted from barrel showed great promise.

Larkmead is one of the historic estates in Napa Valley, with a rich lineage that goes back to 1895. The wines I tasted with proprietor Cam Baker and winemaker Andy Smith were all truly remarkable. Most importantly, though, these are highly individualistic wines loaded with true personality and class. Pricing remains exceedingly fair by Napa Valley standards, considering the quality of what is in the bottle.

Winemaker Andy Smith, who told me that the harvest here in 2008 was early "relative to this property," now places 2008 at the same level as 2007, thanks in large part to the small size of the crop (mostly between 1-1/2 and 2 tons per acre). The harvest, though, was drawn out to 40 days, compared to 19 in 2009 and 18 in 2010. Smith is a big fan of the 2009 vintage here. The yields were higher than those of 2008, but the fact that the soils were dry during the summer "slowed down vigor, and the vines stayed in balance." The clusters and the berries were small, he added, and an extended period of very warm weather from September 17 through 27 "really brought the vintage forward." After that, the afternoons cooled off to the 75 degree range, and the team finished the harvest on October 11, just before the damaging rains arrived. Smith says the 2009s are characterized by blacker fruits than the 2008s; the earlier vintage shows less primary fruit character than either 2009 or 2007.