2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Full bottle 1,329 g. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Valley-floor fruit, some of which would normally go into their flagship wine, picked well before the Glass Fire according to the notes. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Sylvain, 66% new. Not as intense a colour as many others and with some brown rather than blue notes. Very different from most – sort of a Tertre Roteboeuf sweetness and structure! Funny because the label looks bog-standard but this wine certainly doesn't taste it. Definitely worth a punt. Good freshness on the end. GV (JR)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
There are 2,400 cases of the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon (White Label), all harvested prior to September 27 of that year, according to winemaker Avery Heelan. It's a red-fruited wine, with scents of strawberries and redcurrants and a dusting of cocoa powder. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's silky and elegant, with a lingering finish.
The only wine produced by this great estate in the vintage, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep ruby/plum hue to go with terrific aromatics of ripe black fruits, graphite, iron, and background spicy wood. With tons of minerality on the palate as well as medium to full-bodied richness, it has ripe tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. It’s a terrific wine in the vintage that should have 15-20 years of overall longevity.
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is the only wine Larkmead made in this challenging vintage. The heat and drought of the year are strong markers. Dark cooked fruit, worn-in leather, dried herbs and tobacco all show signs of significant stress in the vineyard. All things considered, this is a good wine in a very difficult year.