DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
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Wine
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
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James
Suckling
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Winemaker Notes
Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Inky in the glass, this rich and structured bottling offers a plump black-currant aroma, along with pinches of pepper and tightly woven oak. The palate lands softly and then the tannins rise up, offering savory flavors of charred beef, dark chocolate and black cherry. Drink 2020–2036.
Cellar Selection -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and 10% Merlot aged 20 months in 50% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and very pretty and pure scents of crème de cassis, warm marionberries and blackberry pie with notes of cedar, chocolate-covered cherries, graphite, iron ore and a waft of blackcurrant bud, plus a classy framing of sweet oak spices. The palate is medium to full-bodied, silky, elegant and expertly restrained with mineral-streaked fruit, incredibly soft, grainy tannins, seamless freshness and a long, lifted finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Schedule to be bottled in June of next year, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and the balance Merlot) is beautiful. Cassis, plums, licorice and spring flowers all emerge from this downright hedonistic, plump, sexy, beauty of a Cabernet that's a smoking value. Like with the 2015 this will end up spending 20 months in 50% new French oak.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
James Suckling
I love the very dark and ripe cassis nose of this prototypical California cabernet. The stunning fruit carries the generous, moderately dry tannins beautifully. Long, surprisingly elegant finish for a wine of this scale. Better from 2020.
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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.
As Paso Robles, California has soared in number of wineries and gained in popularity, Cabernet Sauvignon has firmly taken root as the region’s number one varietal. Alone, it accounts for just over 40% of plantings and is grown throughout both the western and eastern sides of the appellation. Though viticulture here dates back to the 18th century, Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t emerge as a significant grape here until the 1970’s. But since then it has definitely made up for lost time.
Legendary winemaker and consultant Andre Tchelistcheff first recognized Paso’s potential with Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1960’s. The calcareous soil and dramatic diurnal temperature changes of Paso’s westside particularly intrigued him. Today modern winemaking techniques and focused experimentation with various clones, rootstocks and vineyard strategies optimize the region's ideal combination of soil and climate to deliver the best fruit possible.
The results are evident in the glass. Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon can be mesmerizing, with rich aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, graphite, toasty oak, vanilla and spice. The structure, balance and unbridled opulence of these wines impress from first sip to last. Not surprisingly, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignons have steadily grown in reputation, not just in the U.S., but around the world.