Lail - J. Daniel Cuvée Napa Valley 2019 (750ml)
Price: $282.00
| Producer | Lail |
| Country | United States |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Napa Valley |
| Varietal | Proprietary Red |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Sku | 1704786 |
| Size | 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck: 99 Points
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee is just about pure perfection and another example of Napa Valley magic. All Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 80% new French oak it offers an incredible bouquet of pure cassis and blackberry fruits as well as textbook Pauillac-like notes of graphite tobacco toasted spices and chalky minerality. Rich full-bodied and powerful it?s one of those wines that somehow marries incredible intensity and richness with no sensation of weight or heaviness perfect balance and a layered multi-dimensional style that?s hard to describe. It shows more tannins and chocolaty oak with air and needs to be forgotten for 4-6 years and it will be a 40+-year wine. It?s heavenly juice.
vWine Advocate: 98+ Points
Altogether much more serious than Lail's Blueprint bottling (and priced accordingly) the 2019 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the Vine Hill Ranch Dutch Canyon (Heimark) and Steltzner Vineyards. Marked by deep seductive scents of cassis and rich loam accented by hints of cedar and dried sage it's full-bodied concentrated and rich finishing long velvety seamless and elegant. Pretty special stuff. Owner Robin Daniel Lail is the daughter of Inglenook heir John Daniel Jr. who was the great nephew of Gustave Niebaum. Lail partnered with Christian Moueix to start Dominus and with Bill Harlan to start Merryvale so there is some serious Napa lineage behind this winery. Those other interests have since been sold with her present energies devoted to Lail Vineyards and The Porto Protocol a wine-industry organization that seeks to mitigate climate change. Lail met Philippe Melka when he was working at Dominus and he has served as the consulting winemaker for Lail since the beginning. The 2019 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon is a barrel sample with a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a little coaxing to unlock pronounced blackcurrant preserves Black Forest cake and stewed plums scents with hints of star anise clove oil unsmoked cigars and tilled soil with a waft of roses. Full-bodied the palate explodes with vibrant black fruits framed by wonderfully plush tannins and seamless freshness finishing long and fragrant. Beautiful!
Vinous: 96 Points
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is a total knock-out. Deep vertical and explosive the 2019 possesses tremendous vertical intensity and tons of sheer class. Inky dark fruit graphite cloves licorice and sweet French oak infuse the 2019 with tremendous complexity to complement its sheer opulence. Vineyard sites are Vine Hill Ranch Heimark Steltzner and Mole Hill. The 2019 is one of the best editions ever. - By Antonio Galloni on October 2021
