Lail Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc 2020
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Connoisseurs'
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James
Suckling -
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Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc in vintage 2020 had additional barrel influence, resulting in a broader and creamier demeanor. It shows intense aromas of stone fruits, white flowers, and pear. The texture is richly layered, with flavors of vanilla, melons and citrus. It is delightfully vibrant and fresh, yet with an extra dimension of complexity and varietal completeness. This will be a fun wine to watch as it develops, in the bottle and in the glass.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Among the many high-pointed Sauvignon Blancs in this Issue, the Lail Blueprint is, to our palates, the most polished, classically crafted of a very good lot. Its refined aromas and flavors are both subtle on the one hand and very much on point in a complex manner on the other. It does not miss a beat varietally yet it also does not scream it out, and its richness is always an important adjunct without taking center stage. There is plenty of energy to the wine, and it seems poised for many years of rewarding growth and increased sophistication.
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James Suckling
A bright, tangy white with sliced-apple and lemon-rind aromas and flavors. Slightly nutty, too. It’s full and dense with layers of fruit. Always a solid wine, but this is a step up. The old-vine bottling of Georgia went into this. 800 cases. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Distinctive, delivering notes of beeswax and lanolin on a supple, elegant frame, with hints of honeysuckle, grilled peach, mango and a dash of wildflower honey. A fresh thread of acidity keeps the flavors in focus. Drink now.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Blueprint is outstanding and, compared to the Georgia release, is more crisp and racy. All Sauvignon raised in 55% new barrels for 7 months, it has lots of honeyed lemon, white flowers, and chalky notes in a medium-bodied, round, supple, pure, exotic package. It’s beautifully done and ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years or so. Best After 2022
Other Vintages
2022-
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James
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Robert
Parker
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Robert
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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James
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Connoisseurs'
Guide -
Wine
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Robert
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James
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Robin Daniel Lail’s heritage began in 1879 with the founding of Inglenook Vineyards by her great -granduncle, the iconic Captain Gustave Niebaum. By the early 1890s, this brilliant man’s obsession for achieving the pinnacle of excellence earned Inglenook wines the status of being considered by many as the finest produced in the country.
The determination to achieve excellence was carried forward through the decades following Niebaum’s death in 1908, with a crescendo in the thirty years following the repeal of Prohibition under the meticulous, passionate stewardship of John Daniel, Jr., Robin’s father. The collection of Cabernets coming from his years of ownership is still celebrated today as some of the finest red wines on earth.
Although Inglenook was sold in 1964, the passion for winemaking did not fade. Robin inherited her father’s respect for tradition. After working as the personal assistant to her mentor, Robert Mondavi, for five years, she left in 1982 to co-found Dominus Estate with Christian Moueix. The following year she co-founded Merryvale Vineyards with Bill Harlan, serving as president for a decade, before finally launching on her eponymous venture, Lail Vineyards, with her two daughters in 1995. Today her family honors his legacy with their relentless pursuit to produce wines second to none.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.