2018 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Solari Reserve

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is all Cabernet and was brought up in mostly new French oak. A gorgeous wine from this estate, it has incredible notes of blackcurrants, camphor, new leather, and dried tobacco. It takes some air yet gets even more complex, with ample licorice and loamy soil notes developing as it sits in the glass. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has terrific overall balance, lots of underlying structure, and a great, great finish. It's going to need 5-7 years for these tannins to melt away, but this is a beauty.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari is laced with the essence of wild cherry, tobacco, licorice and a whole range of earthy, savory notes. Dark and inward, but medium in body, the 2018 is a bit tightly wound today. I would give it a few years to soften. Like all the 2018s at Larkmead, the Solari is a wine of transparency and nuance. Its resonance is more implied than overtly stated.

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Solari (Black Label) was aged in French oak, 92% new. It sports a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant notions of boysenberries, black and red cherry preserves and black currant pastilles with hints of garrigue, sautéed herbs and tobacco leaf plus a waft of charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, features a racy backbone and has finely grained tannins that support the intense red and black fruits, finishing with refreshing herbal lift. 1,238 cases were made.