If Captain Niebaum was partially responsible for introducing Cabernet Sauvignon into Napa Valley, then John Daniel Jr. responsible for continuing his great-uncle's tradition of excellence and refining that variety to a respected status. In honor of Daniel's Cask Wines program that he began in 1949, the 1995 to 2008 vintages on bottles of this grape variety were originally called Cask and carried oak veneer labels. Until then, the wine consisted of 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in American oak barrels. The 2009 vintage, however, saw changes in both the name and production and aging regime, and now Inglenook's Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec - depending on the desired profile - all aged in French oak.
