|
|
Wine Recommendation
Lail Vineyards
2002 Blueprint(Napa Valley)
This is the little brother to Robin Lail’s J. Daniel Cuvée. But don’t underestimate it because many could only hope that this Cabernet were their first wine.
Named to honor Robin’s architect husband Jon, this Blueprint is beautiful and approachable. It has layers of blueberries and black fruit, with lots of complexity. One could drink it now, and I plan to do so as soon as I shut off my computer, but it’ll age well for a long while.
In the 2003, winemaker Philippe Melka blended 82 percent Cabernet and 18 Merlot from Howell Mountain, St. Helena, Oakville, and Yountville. The wine was aged 20 months in French oak, 40 percent of which were new barrels. There were 1,400 cases produced and the price is a very reasonable, when one considers the pedigree and the quality of the wine, $45.
Reviewed February 28, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.
The Wine
Winery: Lail Vineyards |
The Reviewer
Alan Goldfarb
Alan Goldfarb has been writing about and reviewing wine for 17 years. His reviews have been published in the St. Helena Star, San Jose Mercury, San Francisco Examiner, Decanter, and Wine Enthusiast, among others. Not once has he used a point system, star system, or an iconic symbol to quantify a wine. What counts in Mr. Goldfarb’s criteria when judging a wine is: how it tastes in the glass; is it well-constructed; its food compatibility; and presence of redeeming regional attributes. |