2006 J Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

(100% cabernet sauvignon, one-third each from Howell Mountain, Calistoga and Scarecrow in Rutherford) Good full ruby. Blackcurrant, cocoa powder, violet, graphite and licorice on the medicinal nose and palate; smells like a top Pauillac. Very firmly built, even youthfully tough, with terrific vibrancy and captivating soil complexity. Finishes with substantial chewy tannins that will require extended bottle aging. Seriously dense cabernet for the cellar.

The 2006 J. Daniel Cuvee is living up to my laudatory notes from last year. Black currant, crushed rock, licorice, asphalt, graphite, and chocolate characteristics are present in this full-bodied effort. With excellent purity, depth, and delineation, it should drink beautifully for 20+ years. Robin Lail, one of the top women of the Napa wine scene, is also the daughter of the legendary John Daniel, who did so much to raise the image of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Lail and her winemaker, Philippe Melka, were among the first to recognize the potential of a Bordeaux-styled, barrel-fermented and aged Sauvignon Blanc. Aged 18 months in French wood, this Sauvignon is totally different from the overtly fruity styles so prevalent elsewhere. Lail’s Sauvignon is a serious effort with the texture of a white Burgundy and the aromas of a white Bordeaux. In both 2006 and 2007, the flagship wine, the J. Daniel Cuvee, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the estate’s own vineyard on Howell Mountain as well as purchased fruit, usually from the Vine Hill Vineyard in Yountville. Production in both vintages is just under 1,000 cases. Tel. (707) 968-9900; Fax (707) 968-9911

Good full ruby-red. Spicy black cherry, licorice and flowers, lifted by minerality. Extremely medicinal and backward, with tight dark fruit flavors not yet expressing themselves. The substantial tannins reach the front teeth. This 100%-cabernet wine is strong but is going to require extended bottle aging. With this vintage, owner Robin Lail made a significant change in her vineyard sources, purchasing a high percentage of her fruit from the High Mountain vineyard in Dutch Henry Canyon south of Calistoga and from Scarecrow in Rutherford.