| Score: |
100 RP.
"Absolutely perfect and one of the monumental wines of my long tasting trip in Napa is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée. I didn’t see this from barrel last year. Aged 20 months in 75% new French oak and representing 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from three vineyard sources: one in Calistoga, one in Oakville and one in Howell Mountain. Robin Lail and winemaker Philippe Melka hit pay dirt with a wine that has an inky purple color, an almost amazing bouquet that reminded me of 1989 Chateau Montrose when it was young. Sweet almost truffle-infused earth, graphite, forest floor, blackcurrant and black cherry notes are followed by a full-bodied wine with a hint of mocha and licorice. Superb purity, an incremental, yet full-bodied mouthfeel, and an extravagant, layered texture and finish make for the finest wine Robin Lail has produced to date at her winery. Drink it over the next 25-35 years. The Lail Family can trace their wine history back five generations to 1879, when their great-granduncle Gustave Niebaum founded none other than the iconic Inglenook Vineyards. Robin Lail, who is essentially the force and face of Lail Vineyards, was also a co-partner of Dominus with Christian Moueix until he purchased her interest. They produce four wines, Blue print Sauvignon Blanc, a Cabernet Sauvignon and their flagship wines, Georgia Sauvignon Blanc and J. Daniel cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon. This winery, with winemaking consultant Philippe Melka, continues to have the Midas touch." eRobertParker.com #215, Oct 2014 |