DAOU Chardonnay 2019
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This pure, elegant wine shows what is possible from Chardonnay grown at select coastal sites in Paso Robles. It offers inviting aromas of Bosc pear, pineapple and guava graced with hints of hibiscus flower, white peach and allspice. Notes of honeysuckle and vanilla complement fragrances of tropical fruit and warm toast. The palate is lush and silky, with mouth filling flavors of sweet honeydew melon, mango, pineapple and vanilla crème brûlée. Complementary flavors of citrus and nectarine are accented by suggestions of hazelnut and toasted almonds throughout an amazingly long, supple finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A soft and opened chardonnay with ripe-apple, lemon and vanilla-cream character. Layered, very round and easy. Nougat, cooked apple and honey with some tarte tatin. Big, velvety style. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chardonnay is the second iteration from Daou, made from Old Wente and Mt. Eden clone vines. It's a generous, toasty style with full malolactic, barrel fermented with three months' lees stirring. The nose offers white blossoms and yellow apples, with touches of yogurt, lemon peel and stone. The palate is satiny and expansive, a streak of mineral character running through the full, ripe fruits. It offers more precision and restraint than the plush 2018 version.
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Brothers Georges Daou and Daniel Daou set forth across the globe to find an unrivaled terroir for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, a quest that led them to a place of foretold greatness: DAOU Mountain in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. DAOU Family Estates is a family owned and operated winery committed to producing collectible, world-class wine to rival the most respected appellations. Situated on a 212-acre hilltop estate in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, this remarkable mountain was once described by André Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaking authority, as "a jewel of ecological elements."
DAOU Mountain stands alone at an elevation of 2,200 feet, rising from the heart of the Adelaida District in the rugged coastal range west of Paso Robles. The steep slopes here reach up to 56 percent, with uniform exposure to the elements across the estate. It is a terroir of power, purity, and symmetry with every natural asset necessary to pursue the perfect Cabernet Sauvignon—including calcareous clay soils that emulate Bordeaux’s Right Bank and a climate that mirrors St. Helena.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.