Larkmead

Larkmead is one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley. The estate has been around since 1884 and was acquired by the Solari-Baker family in 1948. In the early 1990s, Kate Solari-Barker and her husband Cameron took over from Kate's parents. In the first 10 years they rearranged and newly planted all of the vineyards, placing the right variety on each plot. This has significantly improved the quality!

By now, 44 hectares have been planted with mainly Bordeaux grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon takes up the largest part of all of the plants. Sustainability plays an important role at Larkmead. A lot of effort goes into making everything as environmentally friendly as possible. Their hard work was first rewarded in 2011 with the title of Napa Green Certified Winery, and in 2017 they also received the Napa Green Land certificate.

The vinification is entirely focused on expressing the special terroir of their three vineyards. First, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks in the cellar. The wines are then aged in French oak barrels, of which the proportion of new wood varies from 20 to 70%. The maturation period is usually between 8 and 21 months. Larkmead's wines are powerful with lots of fruit aromas and spice. The wines are ready to drink after about 2 to 3 years and have an aging potential of 10 to 20 years.

Larkmead's best cuvées are: Dr. Olmo, Solari and The Lark. And the most iconic wines of the winery are The Lark 2002 and Solari Reserve 2013. Both cuvées have been awarded 100 points from Robert Parker! The wines are very much loved worldwide, and with good reason!