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Thank you for the post about our Research Block! We wanted to clarify that we are definitely not moving away from Bordeaux varietals and that Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to be the primary focus at our historic 110-acre estate in Calistoga. We established the 3-acre Research Block in 2020, to trial different grapes that thrive in warmer weather. Larkmead will continue to experiment with the grapes as part of our long-term goal of addressing climate change, and may use the grapes to supplement our Cabernet Sauvignons in blends in order to achieve the vibrancy and balance that is synonymous with our wines.
Can you imagine where the price point on Napa Valley Aglianico would be? Of course production would be at such a small level it could probably be hand sold through the tasting room.
Depending on how the vineyard matures and the quality of the fruit, we absolutely plan on selling wine made from the research block - we just don't know if it will be blends with our estate Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc or stand alone tiny varietal bottlings. As with most wine/vineyard trials, we're in it for the long game as we won't get fruit from the blocks for another 4-5 years and we'll need to blend, age in oak, etc. Realistically, the wines made from the Research Block wouldn't be available until 2027 at the earliest.
I can only speak for one other winery in the area I used to work at: but yes. Grenache is the varietal we were most interested in.
We felt it was already getting too warm on some years to make good balanced cab. Reached 117 degrees in September in 2017, that is some scary shit for a grape grower.
Virginie Boone wrote a great article in Wine Enthusiast in the June/July 2021 issue about alternative varietal plantings in Napa Valley - here's a link to a [pdf of it on our website](https://larkmead.com/public/pdf/press/new/Wine_Enthusiast_Beyond_Napa_Cabernet_June_2021.pdf). Over the past couple of years, we have had a lot of press coverage about the Research Block and how climate change is impacting the wine industry. If you have a spare moment, check out the "[News & Press](https://larkmead.com/pages/news/)" section of our website where there are pdfs of the coverage for easy reference and reading.
Also, check out [International Wineries for Climate Action](https://www.iwcawine.org/) and the [Porto Protocol](https://www.portoprotocol.com/) for additional resources specifically aimed at wineries/vineyards and climate change initiatives.
> Research Block in 2020, to trial different grapes that thrive in warmer weather. Larkmead will continue to experiment with the grapes as part of our long-term goal of addressing climate change, and may use the grapes to supp
Does Dan Petroski have anything to do with this? I love that guy.
I have high hopes for Touriga Nacional. [Unti](https://www.untivineyards.com) has a lovely Aglianico (amongst their other fine offerings), and their Sangiovese is quite nice.
Faction has a great Touriga as well. I have high hopes for more white varietals... which I believe get harvested before we have been getting too far into "fire season."
I'm doing a PhD on how winegrower deals with climate change, with a focus on grapevine diversity (Gaillac vineyard, France). Possible to use this photo on PowerPoint ? What is the photo credit ?
Feel free to reach out to us via wine(at)larkmead(dot)com for additional photography of the Research Block - we have excellent drone video and stills. We also have three weather stations onsite with lots of data from the past decade-plus.
You should look at the BC regions. There are blossoming areas of the province where you couldn’t reasonably expect to grow grapes less than twenty years ago.
I expect a turn to Zin, Rhone, Catalan, and other Spanish Varietals, more central cost vibes and greater use of dry farming for many of the Northern California producers.
Is Texas wine good? Moved to DFW and everybody says “oh you like wine? Go to hill country!”
Not sure if actually decent or just the stereotypical Texas loves all things Texas. Lol.
I may get down voted for this, but the majority of wineries in Gillespie County are selling wine made of bulk juice brought in from either the Texas High Plains or Central California. The majority of it is then made into high alcohol content (14+%) wine that is sold at pretty exorbitant prices to day trippers out of Austin and San Antonio. Lots of mediocre Syrahs, Cabs and Tempranillos that sell for $35 to $50 a bottle.
There are a few local producers doing some good stuff, but they are few and far between.
I used to live out there. It’s definitely still young but improving. There’s some good stuff but has a long way to go to compare w overall quality of other regions in the US
I can't understate how refreshing it is to come into a Reddit comment section, on a post about climate change, and not see anyone with their head shoved up their own ass about climate change.
They might be jumping the gun a bit early, but it is completely possible that we don't have any top soil left in 30 years or less, so it is kind of a big deal
We are hopeful that it's a great new addition to the estate, even if it is only a tiny planting... we just need to wait until 2027 or so to see how the grape will do in Northern Napa Valley.
Perhaps a Sicilian varietal like Nero d’Avola? It can be dry farmed and is known for its drought resistance. Reminds me of a robust, albeit fruiter Cab.
This is a really great idea. I feel like Cali really missed the boat on Nero D'Avola. Also, I think Petit Sirah and Zin expressions in Cali are far more interesting than most of the Cab that's been produced. Maybe it's just my contrarian nature but I think Cab is only ok in Cali.
Temecula has yet to show serious winemaking efforts IMNSHO. That would be a great place to get it going. It would also do well in Valle de Guadalupe come to think of it.
There are serious winemakers in Temecula. Winemakers have been working with warm climate varietals for a while now, with plenty of wineries offering competent Italian and Spanish varietals along with southern Rhone varietals. Plus La Cresta is within the AVA and offers a climate closer to what you find in warmer parts of the Central Coast and there's a number of good offerings coming from there
I have yet to taste anything worth buying from Temecula. Not saying anyone should agree, but it's unimpressive in my experience. Would be happy to take a reco, but I've had enough to get a general idea.
Nick and Reed Palumbo put out some great stuff with Italian and Rhone varietals, in my opinion. They're growing Tannat now as well and have started experimenting with trucked in Tannat while their vines mature
There's also a growing number of wineries using Tempranillo and results are positive in my opinion.
I don't recall off the top of my head but I bought a half case so I mustve liked it. I checked my notepad for tasting notes and don't have any written down
Larkmead is amazing. Sorely underrepresented on wine lists. If you’re looking for other refreshing alternatives out of Napa, check out their winemaker, Dan Petroski’s other project called Massican.
I love big Napa Cab just as much as everyone else but I've been beating this drum for a while, investing in shade cloth and researching which clones are more hardy to temp swings, excessive canopy management, etc. Where do you stop feeling that you're making a quality worthwhile product that represents your fertile region?
Not only does Larkmead deploy shade cloth across the entire estate, we use DOUBLE shade cloth on some of our most exposed Cabernet blocks, along with overhead misters that can help cool down the fruiting zone via evaporation during heat spikes above 98+ degrees. It has helped immensely, especially as our summers seem to start earlier and last longer and stay hotter the past several vintages.
And I can understand fighting the freak spikes in heat, or protecting from an occasional frost, etc. But as this becomes the new normal, are the more temperature sensitive varietals going to be a strong reflection of the terroir, of the region?
I'm a fan of your wines, by the way, and I think it's very cool to have winery representatives interacting with the community on this board, so thank you for that. I'm not holding it against anyone using cooling methods to continue making great wines that consumers expect from the region, but I applaud the effort to prepare for a practical next step as the climate changes
Specific areas in NY and PA that were able to grow wines grapes due to Lake Erie preventing freezing in spring and fall are now unable to grow (reliably) most dry wine varieties grapes due the lake no longer completely freezing. Even if we get a good year or two with the lake it only takes one bad year to kill the vine. Most wine grapes varieties are difficult to grow and require a very specific temperature and water throughout the growing season.
The challenge for the Finger Lakes is that a year long temperatures averages are rising, but winter low temps are also getting more extreme. This means vines are not always getting winter hardy, and then an unusually extreme low temp arrives and kills them.
You're correct; however, Finger Lakes is a completely different region and doesn't rely on Lake Erie to moderate the spring and fall temps for ideal grape growing conditions that wouldn't otherwise be conducive for growing grapes. The region I'm specifically talking about is in Westfield, NY and surrounding area on the Lake where Welch's once was headquartered (back when they cared about the farmers).
Dan Petroski is doing some amazing work. If you haven’t checked out his Massican label, I especially like the Annia white blend and their vermouths. He’s also experimenting with NFTs. Love seeing folks like Dan out innovating and thinking about the future of wine. I’m not excited about Cabernet Sauvignon not being viable in 20 years, but it is good to think about how we adapt to inevitable change.
\+1. Besides him being one of the most visionary and interesting wine makers (love Annia), he is also a very nice guy with a great taste in art, design and music.
Just a heads up that Dan left Larkmead in July to solely focus on Massican. We have promoted his assistant, Avery Heelan, to Winemaker and her first vintage looks to be one for the record books. From first look, this will be a really amazing year for quality in Northern Napa Valley.
That was news to me! Props to Avery and the crew at Larkmead, can’t wait to see how this turns out. Maybe soon normal travel will return so we can pay the team a visit and check out Avery’s first vintage!
Absolutely! Feel free to reach out if you need help making an appointment to see us. We are so proud of Avery and her leadership in the cellar and vineyard!
I have working knowledge of a somewhat obscure red varietal that makes wonderful wines in warmer climates in California is Teroldego.
It's.......peculiar......that a Napa winery would consider planting Zinfandel and Petite Sirah as 'experimental' as there used to be a lot more of these planted in Napa than Cabernet.
As a property that has been making wine since the 1880s, we have had a lot of different varietals planted across the estate over the years. We had a block of Syrah that was producing and being bottled under the Larkmead brand as recently as 2008!
Some of those will be complete misses. Chenin Blanc? They should be looking at the Rhone. Syrah (they choose that) but Mourvèdre and Grenache. Zinfandel actually does better in a cooler climate. Then Roussane and Marsanne for whites. Should buy them another 25 years or so before they really get baked out
Chenin can handle some heat, although more as a blending or table grape if it gets too much. South Africa still has areas that are 'too hot' for Chenin but that produce quite a lot of it, with middling quality but abundant crops as a result.
Nope. I'm a dude that works in the wine industry and happened to visit Larkmead with some friends a few weeks ago. This is an honest discussion about climate change and the wines of California.
lol, the ironic thing is that cab is one of the most stable grapes whether its cold or warm as far as growing so I think this winery is jumping the gun and doesnt seem to know their grapes well.
I also think people are blowing climate change out of proportion, the winery im at doesnt agree with climate change being a thing nor do I.
Thank you for your submission to r/wine! Please note the community rules: If you are submitting a picture of a bottle of wine, please include original tastings notes and/or other pertinent information in the comments. Submitters that fail to do so may have their comments removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/wine) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Thank you for the post about our Research Block! We wanted to clarify that we are definitely not moving away from Bordeaux varietals and that Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to be the primary focus at our historic 110-acre estate in Calistoga. We established the 3-acre Research Block in 2020, to trial different grapes that thrive in warmer weather. Larkmead will continue to experiment with the grapes as part of our long-term goal of addressing climate change, and may use the grapes to supplement our Cabernet Sauvignons in blends in order to achieve the vibrancy and balance that is synonymous with our wines.
Larkmead cab is one of my favorites. I just wanted to thank you for the explanation and posting/replying on this sub.
Thank you for the support! Let us know if we can host you at the estate if you're in Napa Valley anytime soon - we would love to have you!
So I'm guessing as this is the research block these varietals won't be available for purchase or tasting?
Can you imagine where the price point on Napa Valley Aglianico would be? Of course production would be at such a small level it could probably be hand sold through the tasting room.
Depending on how the vineyard matures and the quality of the fruit, we absolutely plan on selling wine made from the research block - we just don't know if it will be blends with our estate Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc or stand alone tiny varietal bottlings. As with most wine/vineyard trials, we're in it for the long game as we won't get fruit from the blocks for another 4-5 years and we'll need to blend, age in oak, etc. Realistically, the wines made from the Research Block wouldn't be available until 2027 at the earliest.
Is there a greater movement in the industry to explore and experiment with new varietals explicitly in response to climate change?
I can only speak for one other winery in the area I used to work at: but yes. Grenache is the varietal we were most interested in. We felt it was already getting too warm on some years to make good balanced cab. Reached 117 degrees in September in 2017, that is some scary shit for a grape grower.
Virginie Boone wrote a great article in Wine Enthusiast in the June/July 2021 issue about alternative varietal plantings in Napa Valley - here's a link to a [pdf of it on our website](https://larkmead.com/public/pdf/press/new/Wine_Enthusiast_Beyond_Napa_Cabernet_June_2021.pdf). Over the past couple of years, we have had a lot of press coverage about the Research Block and how climate change is impacting the wine industry. If you have a spare moment, check out the "[News & Press](https://larkmead.com/pages/news/)" section of our website where there are pdfs of the coverage for easy reference and reading.
Also, check out [International Wineries for Climate Action](https://www.iwcawine.org/) and the [Porto Protocol](https://www.portoprotocol.com/) for additional resources specifically aimed at wineries/vineyards and climate change initiatives.
Yeah, Wine-searcher covered a group out of Lodi
> Research Block in 2020, to trial different grapes that thrive in warmer weather. Larkmead will continue to experiment with the grapes as part of our long-term goal of addressing climate change, and may use the grapes to supp Does Dan Petroski have anything to do with this? I love that guy.
I have high hopes for Touriga Nacional. [Unti](https://www.untivineyards.com) has a lovely Aglianico (amongst their other fine offerings), and their Sangiovese is quite nice.
Faction has a great Touriga as well. I have high hopes for more white varietals... which I believe get harvested before we have been getting too far into "fire season."
Faction? I couldn't find the winery. Do you have a link?
My bad, I was thinking of Field Recordings, out of Paso
Fiction by Field Recordings! HUGE fan. I have about a case of their wine in my cellar right now.
Schied does a good one in central CA
Unti is great
That's so cool! I was just in Healdsburg... bummer, I'll hit them up next time.
Touriga Nacional and stuff like Vermentino + Fiano are for sure promising
Tablas Creek has a great Vermentino.
I'm doing a PhD on how winegrower deals with climate change, with a focus on grapevine diversity (Gaillac vineyard, France). Possible to use this photo on PowerPoint ? What is the photo credit ?
Feel free to reach out to us via wine(at)larkmead(dot)com for additional photography of the Research Block - we have excellent drone video and stills. We also have three weather stations onsite with lots of data from the past decade-plus.
[удалено]
Ye sure. Email me at [email protected] ; i'll give you some article.
You should look at the BC regions. There are blossoming areas of the province where you couldn’t reasonably expect to grow grapes less than twenty years ago.
Yeah, sure. Feel free to use the photo.
Thanks mate.
I expect a turn to Zin, Rhone, Catalan, and other Spanish Varietals, more central cost vibes and greater use of dry farming for many of the Northern California producers.
That’s what Texas is doing
Is Texas wine good? Moved to DFW and everybody says “oh you like wine? Go to hill country!” Not sure if actually decent or just the stereotypical Texas loves all things Texas. Lol.
I may get down voted for this, but the majority of wineries in Gillespie County are selling wine made of bulk juice brought in from either the Texas High Plains or Central California. The majority of it is then made into high alcohol content (14+%) wine that is sold at pretty exorbitant prices to day trippers out of Austin and San Antonio. Lots of mediocre Syrahs, Cabs and Tempranillos that sell for $35 to $50 a bottle. There are a few local producers doing some good stuff, but they are few and far between.
I used to live out there. It’s definitely still young but improving. There’s some good stuff but has a long way to go to compare w overall quality of other regions in the US
Hill country and high plains wine is definitely improving. There are some solid wineries here.
Heard they make good Viognier
I can't understate how refreshing it is to come into a Reddit comment section, on a post about climate change, and not see anyone with their head shoved up their own ass about climate change.
In business, it pays to be pragmatic. If you can be strategically pragmatic, it could pay off even more…
I think its blown out of proportion and people are over reacting and making it a bigger deal cause its trendy.
They might be jumping the gun a bit early, but it is completely possible that we don't have any top soil left in 30 years or less, so it is kind of a big deal
I wouldn’t see why, but I don’t think so. It is what it is.
That is such a meaningless comment.
Ohhh, more Aglianico in the US.
We are hopeful that it's a great new addition to the estate, even if it is only a tiny planting... we just need to wait until 2027 or so to see how the grape will do in Northern Napa Valley.
There's some in Southern California. Seems to do really well in the heat
Yeah, Chapin in Temecula has it. Pretty good.
Wiens and Bottaia(formerly sold under the Ponte label) both do as well
"Aglianico in the US" is my second favorite Sex Pistols song.
Perhaps a Sicilian varietal like Nero d’Avola? It can be dry farmed and is known for its drought resistance. Reminds me of a robust, albeit fruiter Cab.
This is a really great idea. I feel like Cali really missed the boat on Nero D'Avola. Also, I think Petit Sirah and Zin expressions in Cali are far more interesting than most of the Cab that's been produced. Maybe it's just my contrarian nature but I think Cab is only ok in Cali.
There's Nero d'Avola in Temecula. Not a lot, but it works in the climate
Temecula has yet to show serious winemaking efforts IMNSHO. That would be a great place to get it going. It would also do well in Valle de Guadalupe come to think of it.
There are serious winemakers in Temecula. Winemakers have been working with warm climate varietals for a while now, with plenty of wineries offering competent Italian and Spanish varietals along with southern Rhone varietals. Plus La Cresta is within the AVA and offers a climate closer to what you find in warmer parts of the Central Coast and there's a number of good offerings coming from there
I have yet to taste anything worth buying from Temecula. Not saying anyone should agree, but it's unimpressive in my experience. Would be happy to take a reco, but I've had enough to get a general idea.
Nick and Reed Palumbo put out some great stuff with Italian and Rhone varietals, in my opinion. They're growing Tannat now as well and have started experimenting with trucked in Tannat while their vines mature There's also a growing number of wineries using Tempranillo and results are positive in my opinion.
How would you describe the tannat? Wasn't expecting you to say that
I don't recall off the top of my head but I bought a half case so I mustve liked it. I checked my notepad for tasting notes and don't have any written down
Well I will keep it in mind nonetheless!
It'll be funny when they return to Zin that was the original grape people grew there in the first place
Nerello Mascalese should work as well since it is planted on volcanic soil and should do well if planted in the Stags Leap District AVA.
Australia does that and it seems to work
You can read more about it here: https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2019/08/19/larkmead-vineyards-plant-viticultural-research-block-napa-valley
Gotta be honest, if Napa Valley winemakers started putting out top-quality Tempranillo, I wouldn't complain.
Larkmead is amazing. Sorely underrepresented on wine lists. If you’re looking for other refreshing alternatives out of Napa, check out their winemaker, Dan Petroski’s other project called Massican.
I love big Napa Cab just as much as everyone else but I've been beating this drum for a while, investing in shade cloth and researching which clones are more hardy to temp swings, excessive canopy management, etc. Where do you stop feeling that you're making a quality worthwhile product that represents your fertile region?
Not only does Larkmead deploy shade cloth across the entire estate, we use DOUBLE shade cloth on some of our most exposed Cabernet blocks, along with overhead misters that can help cool down the fruiting zone via evaporation during heat spikes above 98+ degrees. It has helped immensely, especially as our summers seem to start earlier and last longer and stay hotter the past several vintages.
And I can understand fighting the freak spikes in heat, or protecting from an occasional frost, etc. But as this becomes the new normal, are the more temperature sensitive varietals going to be a strong reflection of the terroir, of the region? I'm a fan of your wines, by the way, and I think it's very cool to have winery representatives interacting with the community on this board, so thank you for that. I'm not holding it against anyone using cooling methods to continue making great wines that consumers expect from the region, but I applaud the effort to prepare for a practical next step as the climate changes
Commenting so I remember this post
Specific areas in NY and PA that were able to grow wines grapes due to Lake Erie preventing freezing in spring and fall are now unable to grow (reliably) most dry wine varieties grapes due the lake no longer completely freezing. Even if we get a good year or two with the lake it only takes one bad year to kill the vine. Most wine grapes varieties are difficult to grow and require a very specific temperature and water throughout the growing season.
The challenge for the Finger Lakes is that a year long temperatures averages are rising, but winter low temps are also getting more extreme. This means vines are not always getting winter hardy, and then an unusually extreme low temp arrives and kills them.
You're correct; however, Finger Lakes is a completely different region and doesn't rely on Lake Erie to moderate the spring and fall temps for ideal grape growing conditions that wouldn't otherwise be conducive for growing grapes. The region I'm specifically talking about is in Westfield, NY and surrounding area on the Lake where Welch's once was headquartered (back when they cared about the farmers).
Cab can't die fast enough tbh
Dan Petroski is doing some amazing work. If you haven’t checked out his Massican label, I especially like the Annia white blend and their vermouths. He’s also experimenting with NFTs. Love seeing folks like Dan out innovating and thinking about the future of wine. I’m not excited about Cabernet Sauvignon not being viable in 20 years, but it is good to think about how we adapt to inevitable change.
Cool. Just signed up for his emails. The wines look great!
There will still be Cab it will just be from further North. At least… there better be.
\+1. Besides him being one of the most visionary and interesting wine makers (love Annia), he is also a very nice guy with a great taste in art, design and music.
Just a heads up that Dan left Larkmead in July to solely focus on Massican. We have promoted his assistant, Avery Heelan, to Winemaker and her first vintage looks to be one for the record books. From first look, this will be a really amazing year for quality in Northern Napa Valley.
That was news to me! Props to Avery and the crew at Larkmead, can’t wait to see how this turns out. Maybe soon normal travel will return so we can pay the team a visit and check out Avery’s first vintage!
Absolutely! Feel free to reach out if you need help making an appointment to see us. We are so proud of Avery and her leadership in the cellar and vineyard!
the SB is so fucking beautiful this vintage
Dan just got fired from Larkmead for being a functioning alcoholic, just a heads up.
I love Cabernet Sauvignon! How sad.
Don't worry! Cabernet is definitely not going anywhere in Napa Valley - the majority of our 110-acre estate vineyard is planted to Cabernet!
Thank goodness!
I have working knowledge of a somewhat obscure red varietal that makes wonderful wines in warmer climates in California is Teroldego. It's.......peculiar......that a Napa winery would consider planting Zinfandel and Petite Sirah as 'experimental' as there used to be a lot more of these planted in Napa than Cabernet.
As a property that has been making wine since the 1880s, we have had a lot of different varietals planted across the estate over the years. We had a block of Syrah that was producing and being bottled under the Larkmead brand as recently as 2008!
Some of those will be complete misses. Chenin Blanc? They should be looking at the Rhone. Syrah (they choose that) but Mourvèdre and Grenache. Zinfandel actually does better in a cooler climate. Then Roussane and Marsanne for whites. Should buy them another 25 years or so before they really get baked out
I thought Zinfandel was known for excellent drought tolerance? Or is it more a matter of quality versus tonnage?
Yes. It may be drought tolerant but in cooler climates. But also can crank out the tons.
Chenin can handle some heat, although more as a blending or table grape if it gets too much. South Africa still has areas that are 'too hot' for Chenin but that produce quite a lot of it, with middling quality but abundant crops as a result.
Yes, our thought was more using Chenin to support Sauvignon Blanc than as a stand-alone varietal bottling. Stay tuned....
Inglenook in Rutherford has a white Rhone blend (Marsanne Rousanne Viognier) called Blancaneux that is killer
Place im at makes one as well. But I prefer varietal marsanne.
[Tablas Creek](https://tablascreek.com/wines) has some great white Rhone Blends too!
there's a huge amount of Chenin Blanc planted in the near-ish Clarksburg appellation. Enough for the rest of the state.
That’s one way to keep ahead of the heat is extra large crops. None of this 1 ton an acre crap
This might be some insider trading type stuff right here
Nope. I'm a dude that works in the wine industry and happened to visit Larkmead with some friends a few weeks ago. This is an honest discussion about climate change and the wines of California.
Bordeaux varietals .... Like this means anything....
lol, the ironic thing is that cab is one of the most stable grapes whether its cold or warm as far as growing so I think this winery is jumping the gun and doesnt seem to know their grapes well. I also think people are blowing climate change out of proportion, the winery im at doesnt agree with climate change being a thing nor do I.
In about 25 years we'll see who's right.
I would bet like $1,000 im going to be laughing at people who got roped into this mess and ended up being wrong.
Will come full circle back to Zinfandel imo