Uncorked: Larkmead gives wings to cabernet sauvignon

Tension and purity drive Avery Heelan in the cellar.

In her first vintage as winemaker at Larkmead, a venerable Napa Valley estate with a history that dates back to 1876, Heelan did just that as she seamlessly stepped into the role Dan Petroski played since 2013.

The Larkmead Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) was focused on black currant and black berry fruit flavors. There was cigar box, clove and a bouquet of dried herbs and flowers that provided subtle nudges toward the savory notes that Heelan wanted to preserve.

Cabernet sauvignon is the king of grapes in California, and some of Napa and Sonoma Valley’s finest are highlighted this week.

“Larkmead’s signature style is very feminine,” Heelan said, “It’s beautifully expressive and floral with bright fruit. I love fruit-driven wines rather than dark and meaty ones. That brings violet and rose petal nature into the fold, and that’s what makes our wines. I want to focus on balance and a wine that can age 20 years.”

Larkmead organically farms 110 acres of vines in Calistoga, a sleepy farming town in the northern portion of the Napa Valley AVA. There’s no marine layer in the evening or early morning; instead, a late afternoon cool wind blows through the Mayacamas Mountains and helps regulate ripening during the growing season.

For two years, Heelan worked with Petroski and became well acquainted with the property.

“The reason I wanted to work at Larkmead and with Dan is the effort put into sustainability,” Heelan said. “He gets called ‘Doomsday Dan,’ but has inspired so many people to increase their sustainability efforts. Larkmead has been around 127 years and is still family-owned. That drew me in, too.”

At Aperture in Sonoma Valley’s Alexander Valley AVA, winemaker Jesse Katz’s Site Series collection zeroes in on the huge impact vineyard location has on a wine. The terroir – the weather conditions, soil, wind, fog, aspect ratio to the sun, slope of a hillside and anything else a vineyard undergoes during a growing season – masterfully is shown off with three wines that are beautiful interpretations of cabernet sauvignon, yet uniquely expressive of their place.

Its sites are northwest of Larkmead’s, and extensive research was done to match soil types to the correct cabernet clones and rootstocks.

“With cabernet, we focus with a lot of volcanic soils,” Katz said. “Vineyards made of volcanic and volcanic loam soil. I love the soils, there’s a lot of gravel and rocks and not a lot of organic material. It’s a way to buffer and slow down the vegetative cycle of the vine.”

The Aperture SJ Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($150) had fleshy red fruit and flashy, snappy cherry flavors. On the more concentrated end of the spectrum was the Aperture Del Rio Vineyard 2019 ($150) with its olive tapenade, coffee grounds, black berry and black currant with chalky tannins.

Bold and firm, the Aperture Oliver Ranch 2019 ($150) was in need of a steak or prime rib for pairing purposes. The gravelly tannins were bigger and longer lasting, and served as framework for the hot rock, creosote and black cherry liquor flavors.

“The key part in the site we look for in vineyards is how well drained are they,” Katz said. “No matter the varietal, we want to be able to get a certain level of stress on the vine prior to veraison. That sets the vine into ripening the fruit.”

TASTING NOTES

The Mill Keeper Napa Valley, multi-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon ($35): An ambitious project from third-generation farmer Tom Gamble, made from fruit sourced from various generationally owned, responsibly farmed vineyards, this is a plush, easy-drinking cab with silky tannins and red fruit flavors.

Cliff Lede “Roundabout Midnight,” Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($110): Blackberry, dried violet, licorice on the nose, rich and lean all at once due to the great acidity, lithe with fine-grained tannins, blackberry, black cherry, anise and a stone-ground minerality. Look for a feature story in the future on Cliff Lede wines.

Charles Krug Generations Napa Valley 2018 ($75): A very classy Bordeaux blend, cabernet takes the front seat, but there’s a rosemary, green punch from cabernet franc that swoops in perfectly on the finish. Perfectly integrated tannins, black cherry, rosemary, sage; very well done.

Clif Family “Kit’s Killer Cab,” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ($80): Just what the name suggests, “killer” for its intense concentration and well-integrated tannins with dark fruit and currant flavors. Espresso, dark chocolate, coffee grounds, briny olive, lead pencil and iron shavings on the finish.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.