Larkmead 2013 'Firebelle' Napa Valley

Larkmead 2013 'Firebelle' Napa Valley

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
WA 94
JS 94

Mission Codename LarkNEED

“The wine is ripe, opulent, full-bodied and a very sexy, lush example of 2013 to drink over the next 15 or more years.” - Robert Parker

LARK is back!

DOUBLE 94 points, lowest price from here to Timbuktu.

If there’s one wine you NEED in your YOLO, drink with gusto, seize the day rotation…THIS. IS. IT.

“Proprietor Cam Baker and his winemaker Dan Petroski continue to prove irrefutably what a first growth terroir Larkmead possesses. Located directly on the valley floor north of St. Helena, this is a superb site, with alluvial, gravelly soils, but there’s diversity in the soil, with plenty of clay, rock and what they refer to as Cortina Gravel. As I have written before, this is an extraordinary estate…” - Robert Parker

Larkmead represents the cream of the crop in Napa Valley. A true “First Growth” worthy rival. Despite being one of the oldest wineries in Napa alongside Beaulieu, Inglenook and Beringer, winemaker Dan Petroski says, “We’re the most famous winery you’ve never heard of”.

They aren’t the flashiest or most expensive - but they’re among the most loved by collectors. It’s also home to one of the most prolific plots of land in the entire region. Centuries worth of alluvial flow deposited ancient riverbed gravel, clay, and loam across their land, making for a perfect canvas to cultivate powerful, complex wines. Factor in winemaker Dan Petroski, who cut his teeth first in Sicily at Valle dell’Acate Winery, then at DuMOL in Sonoma, and today under his own Massican label. In 2006 he joined the team at Larkmead and became head winemaker in 2012. By 2017 the San Francisco Chronicle heralded him as Winemaker of the Year.

Firebelle is a Right Bank styled blend of 73% Merlot 19% Cabernet and 5% Petit Verdot. 2013 yielded some enormously powerful wines and this seems to be just entering a great drinking window. When young these wines tend to be backward and tightly wound with a mountain-grown structure. Now, with nearly a decade of age it’s DEALING deep, powerful fruit with no signs of slowing down. Dark cherry, blueberry, graphite, mint, bittersweet chocolate, and sweet dusty tannins all lined up in a parade that winds around every corner of your mouth with head spinning complexity. Drink it now. Or in ten years. You just can’t go wrong here.

As Decanter once mentioned, “The wines are difficult to get hold of but they represent an ideal of Napa that was nearly lost. They are worth searching out.” Indeed, this is as good as it gets.

Did we mention that price?

Don’t hesitate because we have only a few cases to spare of this beauty!

94 points James Suckling “The blackberry and bramble berry aromas with cloves, walnuts and cedar undertones follow through to a full body, firm and chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Needs time to soften, but impressive backbone of tannins and fruit.”

94 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “The 2013 Firebelle Proprietary Red is a blend of 76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. This wine shows loads of roasted espresso notes mixed with white chocolate, plum, black cherry, and currant. The wine is ripe, opulent, full-bodied and a very sexy, lush example of 2013 to drink over the next 15 or more years. (RP)

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What the Winery Says 2013 'Firebelle' Napa Valley

Larkmead
Larkmead
Winemaker
Dan Petroski
Vintage
2013
Alcohol
14.9%
Varieties
76% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Appellation
St. Helena, Napa Valley
Vineyard
100% Larkmead Vineyards
Soil
Pleasanton loam (clay)
Aging
20 months
Barrels
56% new French oak from Bossuet

About the Winery Larkmead

Larkmead Winemaker Dan Petroski
Larkmead Winemaker Dan Petroski
Larkmead 2013 'Firebelle' Napa Valley 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Jun 23, 2022 at 11:59 pm
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Larkmead 2013 'Firebelle' Napa Valley 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Jun 23, 2022 at 11:59 pm
Register to get notified when this wine is back in stock:
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