Laely Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Other Vintages
2018-
Enthusiast
Wine
By the age of 10, Laely had already lived in 12 states. Her father was a mining engineer and adventurer so when a business opportunity arose in Algeria, the family moved to Africa.
After a couple of years in North Africa, Laely's family hit the road, traveling first throughout southern Africa in a Volkswagen bus and later backpacking their way through Madagascar, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Eventually, the family returned to the States so Laely and her sister could attend high school.
After two years at the University of Colorado, wanderlust called Laely back to Europe to spend her junior year in France. Her passion for wine led to a pivotal event in her life: enrolling at the Institute of Enology in Bordeaux.
After university, Laely moved to San Francisco and became the first American employee of the Australian giant Lindeman’s. Two years later, Laely moved back to Europe – Denmark specifically – where she eventually started an import company, opened a restaurant, taught wine classes and began studies to become a Master of Wine.
Laely moved back to San Francisco and launched Heron Wines in 1995. At the time it was rare to see a woman owning a business in an industry traditionally populated by men. Her first release, a Merlot from St. Chinian in southern France, debuted in the U.S. that same year. Her portfolio soon expanded to include California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in addition to a six varietal blend from the Terra Alta region of Spain. Over the next decade, Heron would become a “cult wine” among master sommeliers and chefs, a favorite “by the glass” pour in the nation’s top restaurants and a consistent “Best Buy” in the wine press.
Heron’s philosophy and wines are direct reflections of Laely’s spirit – pioneering, adventurous, daring, smart, adaptable, thrill seeking, irreverent, non-traditional and international.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.