2015 Larkmead Vineyards Firebelle Cabernet Sauvignon: Affordable Luxury in Napa Valley

A History That Goes Back 125 Years

The history of Calistoga’s Larkmead Vineyards is fascinating. The original owner, Charles Hitchcock, purchased the property with the intent of making it a country vacation home that his family could escape to from San Francisco. Plans changed a bit when Charles’ daughter, Lillie’s lifestyle became so scandalous (for the 1890s – more on that below), that she was moved to quiet, sleepy Napa Valley to keep her out of the papers. 

In her new home, Lillie thrived. In addition to hosting some of the world’s most celebrated movers and shakers of the day, she also cultivated the area’s first vineyards. The original plantings at Larkmead were Zinfandel and Riesling – both commercially popular at the time. 

The Solari Family Ushers in a New Era

The Solari Family are the current owners of Larkmead Vineyards, having purchased the property in 1948. Under the family’s leadership the Larkmead brand was totally reimagined. All of the estate’s 115 acres of vineyards were replanted in the mid-1990s, a new tasting experience was launched, and, in 2023, Larkmead became organic certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).

The Larkmead Portfolio is Home to a Rare Grape

While the Larkmead portfolio of wines is built around Bordeaux varieties, there is one rare grape nestled within the block of Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot: Tocai Friulano. There are only 53 acres of Friulano planted in the entire state of California, making it another gem in this already enviable lineup of wines. 

With only one acre planted on the estate, Larkmead’s Friulano is its most tightly allocated wine.

Winemaker Avery Heelan

In 2021, when longtime Head Winemaker Dan Petroski left to pursue his own private label, Massican, Assistant Winemaker Avery Heelan was promoted to Head Winemaker. Prior to joining Larkmead in 2019, this celebrated female winemaker was the Cellar Master at none other than the cult winery of cult wineries, Screaming Eagle. 

Lillie “Firebelle” Coit: A Woman Ahead of Her Time

Lillie Hitchcock Coit was a woman well ahead of her time. We could write an entire article about her fascinating life. She loved gambling, drinking scotch during the day, wearing pants (this was the late 1800s, and women wearing pants was practically unheard of), and generally doing things women were forbidden from doing. In fact, she was even known to dress up as a man and sneak into gambling dens.

For all of her eccentric hobbies, the thing Lille Coit is remembered most for is her love of firefighting. As the story goes, when she was a teenager living in San Francisco, Lillie saw a Knickerbocker fire engine trying to reach a fire on Telegraph Hill. She ultimately helped the engine reach the fire, and then assisted the firemen as they tackled the blaze. From that moment, she was given the nickname “Firebelle”, a moniker she lived up to in her later years by becoming a patron of the San Francisco Fire Department.

The 2015 Larkmead “Firebelle” Cabernet Sauvignon is named after trailblazer Lillie Coit.