2014 Lail Vineyards J. Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

The flagship wines include the 2014 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from three sources – the family vineyard called Molehill at a 1700-feet elevation on Howell Mountain, the Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard and Heimark Vineyard in Calistoga. A gorgeous 2014, with notes of graphite, mulberry and blackcurrant, this full-bodied, opaque purple wine offers terrific fruit purity, sweet tannin, and a long finish of a good 45+ seconds. It was aged 19 months in 75% new French oak and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. There are 1,064 cases, and it can be drunk now or cellared for another 25 years. Drink Date: 2016-2041.

AG95: The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon John Daniel Cuvée turned out beautifully. In fact, it is even better from bottle than it was from barrel. Deep, unctuous and powerful, but with good freshness, the 2014 hits all the right notes. Specifically, the 2014 offers tons of richness, but without the heaviness or raisinated character that has defined some previous years. Drinking window: 2020-2033.