Lail J. Daniel Cuvee 2001
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wine reveals a profound dark color. Intense and focused, the nose exhibits aromas of plum, cassis, smoke and charcoal. When tasted the wine has wonderful depth and purity. The style is smooth and elegant, finishing with the characteristic J. Daniel Cuvee lingering sweet tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Robin Lail and her husband is still a baby in terms of development. Notes of sweet damp earth, forest floor, charcoal, graphite, black currants and white chocolate emerge from this full-bodied, complete, textured wine. It needs another 2-4 years of cellaring to resolve its tannin, but it is a long, pure, rich, riveting example of Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well for another two decades or more. Rating: 94+
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Wine Spectator
Dark, intense and deeply concentrated, framed by solid, mouthcoating tannins, the core blueberry, plum and black cherry flavors are intense and focused, shining through the oak and tannins on the finish, where a nice touch of mocha adds dimension.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from Howell Mountain grapes, yet rich and approachable in youth. There are huge, chewy tannins, but they're sweet, and frame black currant and cherry-chocolate fudge flavors. This makes it sound like a dessert wine, but it's dry and balanced and entirely satisfying.
Other Vintages
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Robin Daniel Lail’s heritage began in 1879 with the founding of Inglenook Vineyards by her great -granduncle, the iconic Captain Gustave Niebaum. By the early 1890s, this brilliant man’s obsession for achieving the pinnacle of excellence earned Inglenook wines the status of being considered by many as the finest produced in the country.
The determination to achieve excellence was carried forward through the decades following Niebaum’s death in 1908, with a crescendo in the thirty years following the repeal of Prohibition under the meticulous, passionate stewardship of John Daniel, Jr., Robin’s father. The collection of Cabernets coming from his years of ownership is still celebrated today as some of the finest red wines on earth.
Although Inglenook was sold in 1964, the passion for winemaking did not fade. Robin inherited her father’s respect for tradition. After working as the personal assistant to her mentor, Robert Mondavi, for five years, she left in 1982 to co-found Dominus Estate with Christian Moueix. The following year she co-founded Merryvale Vineyards with Bill Harlan, serving as president for a decade, before finally launching on her eponymous venture, Lail Vineyards, with her two daughters in 1995. Today her family honors his legacy with their relentless pursuit to produce wines second to none.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.