2018 J Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon
Buying options
Tasting notes
Lail’s 2018 J. Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-purple color. It is slightly closed to begin, soon revealing notes of mocha, black olives, and aniseed, over a core of blackberry preserves, boysenberries, and crushed blackcurrants. The full-bodied palate is firm and sturdy, with muscular black fruits and a long savory finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee comes from a mix of terroirs (Howell Mountain, Stags Leap, Oakville, Calistoga) and is brought up in 75% new French oak. Heavenly notes of red and black currants, dried tobacco, sandalwood, flowers, and spice give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, yet weightless texture that carries awesome tannins, no hard edges, and just flawless balance. This majestic, regal wine is going to drink brilliantly for 25 years or more.
Complex and full-bodied, this shows notes of blackberries, plums, chocolate, herbs and minerals. The palate is velvety, ample, powerful and very balanced. Terrific finish that develops and lasts. Very structured and focused. This needs at least two to four years of bottle age. Try after 2023.
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is quite restrained in this vintage. Silky and medium in body, with lovely red berry fruit character, the 2018 has a lot to offer. I would cellar it for a few years, as the tannins are pretty clamped down today. As always, the J. Daniel Cuvée is a blend taken from a handful of top sites in Napa Valley.