Lail Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Daniel Cuvee, Napa Valley
Item Number: 13 20 678 16
Lail Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Daniel Cuvee, Napa Valley
100 Points and Impossibly Rare!
About Lail Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, J. Daniel Cuvee, Napa Valley
Robin Daniel Lail grew up among the vineyards of Inglenook, founded in 1879 by her great-granduncle, Gustave Niebaum, who pioneered fine winemaking in the Napa Valley. Inglenook was passed down to Robin’s grandfather and then to her father, John Daniel Jr., a true innovator (he was the first to put ‘Napa Valley’ on his labels, and pioneered varietal labeling) and wine industry leader who produced legendary wines. Robin launched her vintner career as Robert Mondavi’s personal assistant, who became her mentor in the wine business. In 1982 Robin co-founded Dominus with Christian Moueix, and in 1983 co-founded Merryvale Vineyards with Bill Harlan, where she served as president for twelve years.<br><br><p>In the mid-nineties, Robin sold out of her partnerships with a vision of bringing her family’s exciting legacy into the 21st Century. Her dream of creating her own extraordinary wines set flight in 1995 when she and her two daughters, Erin and Shannon, set out on their own by launching Lail Vineyards. Today, with legendary Consultant Pilippe Melka overseeing all of the winemaking, the venture carries forth over 135 years of winemaking in the Napa Valley.
Famed enologist Philippe Melka is the winemaker for this 2016 J. Daniel Cuvée. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on extraordinary and distinct Napa Valley sites including the family vineyard called Mole Hill at a 1700-feet elevation on Howell Mountain, the Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard in Oakville and Heimark Vineyard in Calistoga. This multi-vineyards cuvée is assembled over its 20 months of aging in 75% new French oak barrels. This flagship bottling is named in honor of founder Robin Lail's father, John Daniel, Jr., a true innovator who produced legendary wines.
Jeb Dunnuck scored thia 98+ saying "The flagship 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee takes things up to whole other level and is a thrill a minute. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Mole Hill, Vine Hill Ranch, and Heimark vineyards that spent 20 months in 75% new oak, it sports a deep purple color as well as a spectacular bouquet of crème de cassis, black raspberries, graphite, and spicy oak. Possessing incredible purity, full-bodied richness, building structure, and a big finish, it’s a quintessential, age-worthy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I suspect will require more than a decade to hit prime time and will keep for 3+ decades. Bravo!"
and The Wine Advocate scored this a perfect 100 points and said "One-hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2016 J Daniel Cuvee is deep garnet-purple in color and offers up exuberant notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, violets and unsmoked cigars with touches of garrigue, fragrant earth, powdered cinnamon, black olives and tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally."
Famed enologist Philippe Melka is the winemaker for this 2016 J. Daniel Cuvée. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on extraordinary and distinct Napa Valley sites including the family vineyard called Mole Hill at a 1700-feet elevation on Howell Mountain, the Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard in Oakville and Heimark Vineyard in Calistoga. This multi-vineyards cuvée is assembled over its 20 months of aging in 75% new French oak barrels. This flagship bottling is named in honor of founder Robin Lail's father, John Daniel, Jr., a true innovator who produced legendary wines.
Jeb Dunnuck scored thia 98+ saying "The flagship 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee takes things up to whole other level and is a thrill a minute. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Mole Hill, Vine Hill Ranch, and Heimark vineyards that spent 20 months in 75% new oak, it sports a deep purple color as well as a spectacular bouquet of crème de cassis, black raspberries, graphite, and spicy oak. Possessing incredible purity, full-bodied richness, building structure, and a big finish, it’s a quintessential, age-worthy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that I suspect will require more than a decade to hit prime time and will keep for 3+ decades. Bravo!"
and The Wine Advocate scored this a perfect 100 points and said "One-hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2016 J Daniel Cuvee is deep garnet-purple in color and offers up exuberant notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries, violets and unsmoked cigars with touches of garrigue, fragrant earth, powdered cinnamon, black olives and tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and minerally."
Wine Details
- Bottle Size 750 ml
- Wine Type Red
- Country United States
- Region California
- Appellation Napa
Need help? Talk with a Wine Concierge
We’ll help you make the perfect selection
Call 800.962.8463