($125; 100% cabernet sauvignon) Good full medium ruby. Black cherry, cassis and licorice on the slightly medicinal nose. Pliant, juicy and spicy, with good grip to the flavors of dark berries, plum and bitter chocolate; this reminded me of a St. Julien. Nicely tactile wine, finishing persistent and complex, with dusty tannins. A very successful vintage for this wine. Owner Robin Lail, who purchases fruit from sites up and down Napa Valley, says her objective is to create "a poor man's estate vineyard" by having her team farm all of the parcels she buys from.

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The 2005 J. Daniel Cuvee has put on considerable weight since last year, and the good news is that there are 1,400 cases of it. Dense ruby/purple in color with notes of graphite, black currant, coffee bean, crushed rock, chocolate, and spice, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and seems to combine the best of both a top Bordeaux and a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Smooth-textured, rich and polished, this stylish wine offers a mix of herb, currant, black cherry and plum fruit that's ripe and well-proportioned, ending with graceful tannins.

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This vintage marks the tenth anniversary of the first vintage of Lail Vineyards. Tasted twice in the last three months, the wine continues to evolve. Aromas of currant, licorice and cherry with a palate showing ripe dark plum and cocoa. Very dense and concentrated overall. I recommend decanting an hour before drinking.

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