94pts Decanter

The estate Cabernet Sauvignon in 2022 is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc, grown in Cortina gravel and Pleasanton loam soils and aged 22 months in 71% new French oak. One of the more refined Cabernets of this challenging vintage, which saw a record-setting heatwave. Despite this, the wine retains freshness, tension, and energy, though the tannins are less pronounced, the structure slightly softer, and the fruit leans more red-toned than usual. Still, there’s plenty to admire—juicy black cherry and brambly blackberry fruit mingle with cedarwood spice, mocha, and a lift of blood orange acidity. The tannins are gentle yet present, lending the wine a long finish with warming spice notes. 

92pts James Suckling

Aromas of blackberries, coffee beans, plum confit, leather and baking spices. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, a rounded mouthfeel and a slightly drying, bitter chocolate finish.

92pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc, which was brought up in 71% new French oak. It has a clean, classy, textbook Cabernet Sauvignon nose of ripe currants, loamy earth, leather, and spicy wood. It's nicely balanced, medium-bodied, has a focused, nicely structured mouthfeel, and a great finish.

Winemaker Notes

For the first time in over a decade, this bottling includes nearly all the Cabernet Franc planted across our historic estate, bringing the varietal's nuanced texture and bright aromatics to the blend. This is a beautifully balanced wine, with the potential for even more complexity in several years' time.

Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc

About the Winery

The Larkmead wine collection includes four prominent labels and each wine presents distinct portraits of the large and varied estate. The Larkmead Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is assembled from a range of blocks, blending all of the many soil types and clonal selections together into a single complex whole.