2010 Larkmead Vineyards Solari for Our Belated New Years Dinner
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We celebrated New Years a few days after as we were tied up babysitting. Our usual course of activity on New Years is to have one of our longer stored wines and a nice meal either at home or out. There was a break in the weather, so we were able to BBQ last evening.
The Winery
Photo from Larkmead Vineyards website
Larkmead Vineyards is a long-established winery in Napa Valley. Originally founded in 1895, incorporated 115-acre estate under the stewardship of the Solari-Baker family. Dan Petroski, winemaker for Larkmead Vineyards for this vintage, has consistently produced exquisite and age worthy wines for years. We were wine club members for many years. This rested comfortably for 11-12 years in the cellar and was truly worth “stashing away”. It received 96 points and could have easily received 98 (IMHO). It is 100% estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Today winemaker Avery Heelan oversees bringing their wines to market but have not tasted her recent vintages.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was opened about 2 ½ hours before the meal to be decanted and filtered. I have been using this Royal Selangor funnel with a stainless-steel mesh for almost 20 years. At the bottom of the funnel are five “ports/channels” which the wine is jettisoned to the sides of the decanter and continues down the decanter’s walls in a gentle fashion. This allows for the wine to be completely aerated.
I first saw this in 2003 at a restaurant in Toronto at dinner. As it turned out this was a winner in 2002 of the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization’s Good Design Award, German Red Dot Design Award: Product Design, and a Bronze in the USA’s IDEA Industrial Design Excellence Awards. A truly simple and effective device.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes, an extremely dark purple color and medium heavy viscosity. One smell of the wine, your expectations were focused and expectations set! It is a fruit driven vintage, with aromas of raspberries, blueberries and vanilla. On the palate, it burst open with an extravaganza of flavors like the conclusion at a major fireworks display. The earthiness counterbalanced with floral notes, soft vanilla tobacco, black cherry and black licorice provide explosion after explosion in the mouth. The finish was one of the longest lasting wines this year. The tannins were still omnipresent with structure and the acidity was truncated due to the expressive fruits. This is a wine that beckoned one to sip and savor each droplet in the glass. This will make my Best Wines List tasted for 2025! The current release is 2021 and the winery sells it for $200/bottle. I have not tried the 2021 but have had this wine year after year since 2009.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired with a rib eye steak seared on the BBQ at 1500 degrees! Dry rubbed with my wife’s special spices and served medium rare. Accompanied by a Yukon Gold potato and a fresh garden salad with Champagne dressing. A great food and wine pairing this evening toasting in the new year.
Slainte,
Michael