Photo via Larkmead.com

There are holiday wines… and then there are holiday wines…

The kind of bottles that arrive at your table with presence, history, and the quiet confidence of a true Napa Valley icon. Larkmead Vineyards is exactly that—a winery whose story spans generations, whose vineyard expresses a singular voice, and whose wines feel like the ultimate gift for someone who appreciates the very best.

Founded in 1895, Larkmead is one of Napa Valley’s oldest family-owned wine estates. For over a century, this land in northern Calistoga has witnessed Napa transform from a rugged frontier to one of the world’s most revered wine regions. Larkmead didn’t just watch that evolution—it helped shape it. Their grapes have been part of celebrated Napa cuvées for decades, contributing to the valley’s rise to international fame.

Since 1948, the Solari family has stewarded this remarkable property with patience, precision, and pride. This level of continuity—almost unheard of in the wine world—has allowed for a deep, generational understanding of the land. As Proprietor Kate Solari Baker beautifully says:

“The Larkmead business represents my family’s roots in the Napa Valley… I am now doing my best to continue their legacy by passing Larkmead on to our three children.” – Larkmead.com 

This commitment to legacy is woven into every vine, every vintage, and every bottle!

Though Larkmead sits on the valley floor, its terroir behaves more like a hillside. Centuries of alluvial movement created a rare patchwork of ancient riverbed gravel, clay, sand, and loam—a complexity that gives the estate its unmistakable character. To honor this diversity, Larkmead vinifies each block individually by clone and soil type. This precision allows Winemaker Avery Heelan to craft wines that are not just delicious but deeply expressive of place. The vineyard is farmed organically under the guidance of Nabor Camerena and viticulturist Kelly Maher, giving the fruit purity and energy that shines through in the glass.

As Avery notes: 
“The wines at Larkmead have always beautifully showcased a sense of time and place. Organic and sustainable farming affords us the highest quality grapes, allowing us to make wines with incredible distinction and balance.”

Larkmead’s collection includes some of Napa’s most coveted bottles, each telling a different story of the estate:

  • Larkmead Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – A panoramic expression blending all soil types into a single, complex whole.

  • Firebelle Estate Red Wine – A Merlot-forward Bordeaux blend with plush texture and beauty.

  • Lillie Estate Sauvignon Blanc – Produced in tiny quantities; vibrant, textured, and unlike any other Sauvignon Blanc from Napa.

  • Solari Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Their flagship, crafted from blocks that show the purest balance and concentration of the estate. A masterpiece of structure, depth, and ageability.

Throughout the years, limited-production treasures like Dr. Olmo, LMV Salon, and The Lark have further showcased the estate’s ability to deliver profound wines when the vintage allows.

The Wine I Tasted: 2022 Larkmead Solari Cabernet Sauvignon: 

A bottle that will absolutely grace my holiday table this year! 

I was genuinely honored—and humbled—to be sent a bottle of the 2022 Solari Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the crown jewels of Napa Valley. When a winery with this much legacy entrusts you with one of their finest expressions, you feel it. I certainly did. The Solari Cabernet comes from the estate’s most exceptional blocks—sites where the interplay of gravel, clay, and sandcreates a naturally powerful yet incredibly balanced wine. Each block is farmed and vinified separately, then blended with an artist’s touch to honor the estate’s intricate terroir.

In the glass, this wine is dark, structured, and aromatically lifted, brimming with bramble fruit, violets, cassis, warm spices, graphite, and delicate floral edges. It is deep and layered, yet elegant—an unmistakable hallmark of Larkmead. Honestly, it’s a perfect example of what happens when heritage, farming, terroir, and world-class winemaking align.

You’re probably wondering how I tasted it.. yet it will grace my holiday table. Well, I coravined my taste and saved the rest for the holidays!!  It is a wine that speaks softly at first, then unfurls into something profound—long, textural, confident, and unforgettable.

And yes… this is absolutely the bottle I’ll be opening at my Christmas dinner. It deserves the moment, and the moment deserves this wine.

Larkmead for the Holidays: The Ultimate Gift of Luxury

During the holiday season, we all look for gifts that feel personal, meaningful, and extraordinary. Larkmead wines are exactly that. They are historic without being old-fashioned, luxurious without being ostentatious, crafted with integrity and intention, A story as memorable as the wine inside the bottle!

Whether you’re gifting the collector in your life, bringing a show-stopping bottle to a holiday dinner, or treating yourself to something truly special, Larkmead is a winery that elevates the entire experience.

Their wines don’t just pair with food—they pair with celebration, with family gatherings, with the kind of moments you want to remember.

Cheers to the holidays—and to wines that make them unforgettable.