2019 J Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon
Buying options
Tasting notes
Lail’s 2019 J. Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little shaking before it erupts with flamboyant notes of warm cassis, wild blueberries, and black raspberries, followed by an opulent undercurrent of jasmine tea, candied violets, and star anise, plus a touch of rose oil. The full-bodied palate is densely packed and multi-layered, featuring firm, velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with incredible length and depth.
Critic scores
Average Score
Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
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 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.
This is a big wine with lots of richness and some warmth from the ripe fruit. Blackberries,boysenberries and spice with some pine needles. Full and chewy. Lots of tannin and structure keeps it all framed and in check. Really powerful. From vineyards in Calistoga, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Stag’s Leap. Mountain fruit coming through. Needs some bottle age to soften. Better after 2024.