2010 J Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

Full medium ruby. Mineral-driven, claret-like nose combines aromas of cassis, blueberry, espresso, dark chocolate, bell pepper and celery salt. Wonderfully savory if quite reticent on the palate, offering very suave, fine-grained flavors of black fruits, spices, tomato stem and herbs; I would have guessed that there was some Cabernet Franc here owing to the hints of licorice and violet. Not a particularly opulent wine but long on complexity and soil character. Make sure to decant this wine if you plan to open it soon, or, better yet, give it another few years of cellaring. (15.3% alcohol; 75% new oak; like many of her Napa Valley colleagues, Robin Lail described 2010 as a difficult growing season)

The flagship wine, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two sources, 73% from the Dutch Henry Canyon area in Calistoga and 27% from Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville. This wine spent 19 months in three-fourths new French oak. A sensational effort, it reveals copious notes of lead pencil shavings, blackberries, mulberries, black currants, licorice and charcoal. This beautifully crafted, full-bodied Cabernet possesses impressive delineation and a long finish with moderate tannin as well as decent acidity for vibrancy. Approachable now, it should continue to drink well for at least a quarter of a century. One of my favorite small wineries in Napa Valley, Lail Vineyards produces the most singular and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc in Napa. Although it’s expensive, it is a delicious Sauvignon modeled after a great white Graves, and is meant for long-term cellaring. In most vintages, around 300 cases are produced. Lail’s less expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, Blueprint, comes from four to six different appellations, ranging from the cooler Yountville and Coombsville areas in southern Napa Valley, to mountain vineyards such as Howell Mountain and further north to the warmest region of Napa Valley, Calistoga. The wine spends 18 months in French oak, of which about half is new. Tel. (707) 968-9900