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Lail Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint Napa Valley 2016  - First Bottle

Reviews

96 Wine Enthusiast -
This is a stunningly beautiful wine at this price point, age-worthy and complex, it will stay with you long after it's gone. Opening in cedar, clove and cinnamon, it follows with a dusting of cocoa powder and toasted oak, before it offers a lingering thread of mineral in the form of crushed rock, violet, red and black currant. Structured as it goes, it finishes soft and silky. This is a wine for the cellar as well. Editors' Choice. V.B. abv: 15.1% Price: $80
93 Vinous -
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint is fabulous, not to mention a huge overachiever in its price range. A burst of sweet red cherry, plum, espresso, chocolate, tobacco, menthol and French oak hits the palate. Expressive, pliant and super-inviting, the 2016 has so much to offer. Best of all, it will drink well upon release.

Technical Details

  • Blend95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
  • WinemakerPhilippe Melka
  • CountryUS
  • RegionCalifornia North Coast
  • AppellationNapa
  • Aging/Cooperage18 months in 51% new French oak
  • Alcohol15.1%
  • Production2310 cases

Lail Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint Napa Valley 2016

Cabernet Blends  |  US
WE96, VN93

Too late, we are SOLD OUT!
There is so much to say about the wonderful, fascinating and generous Robin Lail, her history in the Valley, and her winemaker Philippe Melka that we would need a REALLY long web page to pack it all in. Here’s a link to Wine Cellar Insider, which summarizes it well enough. I suspect most of you reading this are pretty well-informed from our many years of selling these incredible wines anyway, but just in case. Robin as a person is just a force of nature, and we are so proud to offer this today. The superfluous 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet vintage is on full display here along with Melka's clear winemaking prowess. The sourcing here includes all the vineyard sources that make up the hundred point J. Daniel: their estate vineyard on Howell Mountain, Mole Hill, Vine Hill Ranch in western Oakville and well as Beckstoffer's George's III, Lambert in Coombsville, Renteria and Round Pond in Rutherford and a few other amazing sites. This is a clear over-achiever that we cannot recommend enough. Where else can you find Melka Cabernet for under $100 bucks? Back up the truck.

About the Producer

Robin Daniel Lail’s heritage began in 1879 with the founding of Inglenook Vineyards by her great-granduncle, the iconic Captain Gustave Niebaum. Robin is a legend, helping found Dominus and Merryvale, she is one of the most influential woman in Napa Valley history and remains that way to this day. She saw the talent in a young Philippe Melka and hired him as winemaker, it was one of his very first gigs in Napa and has remained at the helm of winemaking ever since.