Philippe Melka has made some beautiful wines for Robin Lail over the years originally concentrating on the excellent J Daniel Cuvee named in honor of her father, John Daniel Jr. , the great-nephew of Inglenook founder, Gustave Niebaum. Desiring to make a Lail white analogous to the red, Melka stunned the wine community by creating a Lail Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc named "Georgia" named for Jon and Robin Lail's first grandchild that sold for $75.00 a bottle. This Bordeaux-styled wine instantly became the center of attention among retailers wondering "what could you do to Sauvignon Blanc to make it worth that much?" The premiere release of Georgia, 2004, received high praise from wine critics. Aged in 100% new french oak for 18 months it seemed to be the ultimate expression of what you could do with this stalwart variety to create an age-worthy style.
The most recent addition to the Lail portfolio is the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Blueprint positioned as is the the Blueprint Red as more approachable wines sourced from younger vineyards. The wine is coming to market just now and I had the chance to taste it earlier today.
2007 Lail Sauvignon Blanc Blueprint, VF93 $42.00
Quartz-like mineral, graphite, lemon, tangerine and nectarine aromas. The palate is beautifully formed with an elegant creaminess to the focused acidity on the finish. 617 cases produced.
This wine will be available on the Vinfolio site later tomorrow.
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