2014 LMV Salon

Winemaker Dan Petroski's focus on more sustainable farming practices and a move towards picking at lower sugars are two recent developments here. To be sure, this historic Calistoga vineyard naturally produces pretty big, powerful wines, so it will likely be some time before the full effects of these changes are felt. Perhaps more important is Larkmead's increased focus on single-parcel wines at the top of the range. For starters, the two Cabernets now have more specific identities than the White Label and Black Label monikers that were used at the beginning of the redesign. Today, the White Label Cabernet is simply the Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon and is an entry-level wine that is meant to represent the entire estate. The Black Label has been renamed Dr. Olmo, after Dr. Harold P. Olmo, the UC Davis scientist whose clonal research formed much of the early knowledge that exists today in Napa Valley on Cabernet Sauvignon. In the 1930s, Dr. Olmo set up a research station at Larkmead. When UC Davis built their Oakville research station in the 1950s, the plant material came from Dr. Olmo's clones at Larkmead. Today, the Dr. Olmo Cabernet is made from the same parcel that Dr. Olmo used for his research back in the 1930s and 1940s. As for the wines, they are terrific. The 2014s have all shut down considerably post-bottling, something I saw at many properties during my fall tastings. The 2015s are the product of a very condensed harvest. Yields are down about 20% across the board. Petroski adds that he left the wines on the skins a few more days than normal in order to give the wines a bit more structure to balance the natural intensity of the fruit.

There is a lot to report on at Larkmead. For starters, the wines have been divided into two ranges. The first set of wines are being sold under the Larkmead Vineyards brand, with the classic white label, and draw from multiple parcels across the estate. The top three wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Solari and The Lark) have been given new black labels and are marketed under the Larkmead brand. A Cabernet Sauvignon bottling is made under both ranges. Personally, I think the marketing and branding strategy needs a little help. The wines, though, are terrific. Dan Petroski, one of Napa Valley's most talented winemakers, has done a terrific job coaxing the very best out of these sights. Sadly, the world has caught on to quality here and prices are way, way up. Proprietor Cam Baker could have been a bit more gentle with these increases, which are sure to shock the estate's long-time customers. As for the wines, there is not much to say except that Larkmead remains one of the most distinctive sites anywhere in California. The 2014s are the first wines made with the new internal division of parcels and, perhaps for that reason, show a bit more focus as well as finesse. Winemaker Dan Petroski describes 2014 as a vintage that had both longer hang time than usual and that ripened at lower sugars than are the norm here, with less heat at the end of the growing season. The bottled 2013s are as powerful and bombastic as they have always been.