2021 J. Daniel Cuvée | MG

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is exceptional. Inky, vibrant and beautifully savory, the 2021 is one of the best editions I can remember tasting. The 2021 is a blend from Vine Hill Ranch, Heimark, Mole Hill and Steltzner, a combination that works so well. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, graphite and spice build into the super-expressive finish. The move toward greater freshness over these last few years has really paid off. I especially admire the precision here. This is an archetype for contemporary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

- Antonio Galloni (12/2023)

Aromas of lush dark fruits of cassis and brambles followed by violets, sweet tobacco and cocoa powder with a subtle pencil shaving and gunpowder note. Full-bodied with solid yet ripe tannins and good acidity backbone. Very precisely framed and focused wine with astonishing structure and depth. It’s drinkable now but will also develop beautifully with age. (01/2024)

One of the finest wines in the vintage, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dutch Henry Canyon area in Calistoga, Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville, and Stelzner in Stags Leap (which was added in 2018). It spent 20 months in 75% new French oak. Still tight and inward, it has sensational purity in its currant, mulberry, truffly earth, graphite, and leather aromatics. These carry to a full-bodied, rich, incredibly concentrated 2021 that has the vintage’s fresher, focused style, ripe tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. It's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for a quarter of a century. (02/2024)