In an effort to to visit all 600 Napa wineries(350 and
counting), my wife Linda and I recently visited Larkmead Winery in
Calistoga. Our wine staff Ron and Josiane Hable also joined the fun.
From our Danville home, it is a 1 hour drive.
Established in 1895, this is one of the oldest family run wineries in Napa. Proprietors Cam and Kate Solari Baker continue to preserve the rich history.
Before prohibition this 150 acres of beauty was considered one of the 4 titans in Napa Valley along with BV, Inglenook and Beringer. One of the original owners was Lillie Hitchcock Coit. Lillie was a free spirit who loved the firemen that rescued her in a few devastating fires. When she passed away, she left a fortune to the city of San Francisco to build the famous Coit Tower replicating a fire hose and proudly overlooking the “great city by the bay.”
Our host today was John Hamill who is a worldly person with a zest for life and love of wine. He explained to us the elaborate “no press” wine process that won winemaker Dan Petrowski 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Winemaker of the year.
In addition to sharing the winery’s rich history and wine process, he told us the name Larkmead came from many meadow larks that were originally on the property. Simply the meadow lark bird name was reversed and the name Larkmead was born.
We enjoyed tasting 4 of Dan’s great wines in the elegant Howard Backen designed tasting room with a warm fire burning overlooking the vineyard graced by the yellow mustard in full bloom.
We began with the 2015 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietary Red that was bursting with flavor and smooth finish. It was a very enjoyable blend that warranted taking home a bottle with us.
The next carefully crafted gem was a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that was 93% Cabernet and 7% Petite Verdot. It was also a refined blend of excellence. Next, we tasted 2014 Dr. Olmo and 2014 Solari. We enjoyed these 100% Cabernets in a side by side tasting. There are 7 types of soils on this rich land and these were from the “A Block” which is the vortex of this heavenly property. Both were described by John as having “angels in your mouth” but after careful consideration, we decided to take a bottle of the Dr. Olmo home with us.
We look forward to returning soon for their spring and fall party as we also joined their wine club.
For lunch, we enjoyed another great meal at “Reliable” Rutherford Grill in nearby Napa. All of their food is fantastic and the first bottle of wine has no corking fee. There are no reservations and usually a short wait to be seated in this popular Napa bistro.
As you enter this high energy restaurant filled with happy people, the sweet smell of their famous barbecue ribs radiates from their open kitchen. It brings an immediate smile to your face in anticipation of a great foodie experience. We highly recommend the hot steaming corn bread served in a cast iron pan to start your meal. It is a perfect way to compliment a fun day of wine tasting.
For more information and to make reservations to visit Larkmead go to:
https://www.larkmead.com/
