Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 J Daniel Cuvee bursts forth with gregarious blackcurrant pastilles, black cherries and warm plum notes backed up by notions of spice cake, mocha and licorice. The full-bodied palate is powerfully fruited with opulent exotic spices accenting the black forest cake notions, framed by plush tannins and finishing with epic length. A beautifully buxom showstopper!

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee is an inky, full-bodied, majestic Cabernet Sauvignon that should be a candidate for perfection in a decade. Black currants, the essence of blackberries, crushed rocks, gravely minerality and charcoal all emerge from this incredible, full-bodied, massive wine that’s still backward and tight. Brought up in 80% new barrels, forget bottles for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades. Bravo! Run by Robin Lail, with the winemaking handled by the incredibly talented Philippe Melka, Lail Vineyards has produced two beautiful 2015 Cabernet Sauvignons, with the Blueprint release being a terrific value as well. The top J. Daniel Cuvee is always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and comes from sites in Howell Mountain, Oakville, and Dutch Henry Canyon. It’s a potentially legendary wine in the making in 2015. In addition to the reds, they fashion a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc that’s well worth checking out. I find most Sauvignon Blancs seemingly done as an afterthought in Napa, but that’s not the case here.

This wine comes from Robin Lail, descendant of Inglenook founder Gustave Niebaum. It's heavily reliant on smoky, chocolatey oak and ripe dark fruit, made in a soft, supple style that has many fans. The finish is surprisingly fresh and long.