2015 Lail Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint is a serious, age-worthy blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 42% new French oak. Blue and black fruits, toasty oak, scorched earth and licorice all emerge from this concentrated, backward, tannic red that needs 5-6 years of bottle age. Run by Robin Lail, with the winemaking handled by the incredibly talented Philippe Melka, Lail Vineyards has produced two beautiful 2015 Cabernet Sauvignons, with the Blueprint release being a terrific value as well. The top J. Daniel Cuvee is always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and comes from sites in Howell Mountain, Oakville, and Dutch Henry Canyon. It’s a potentially legendary wine in the making in 2015. In addition to the reds, they fashion a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc that’s well worth checking out. I find most Sauvignon Blancs seemingly done as an afterthought in Napa, but that’s not the case here.

Containing just 7% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint sports a deep garnet-purple color and fragrant notes of fresh blackberries and black currants, mulberries, dusty earth and garrigue with bay leaves and sandalwood in the background. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features a good core of muscular, expressive fruit, supported by grainy tannins, finishing long and nicely poised.