Daou Vineyards Wine Tasting

Midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco along coastal Highway 1 is the town of Paso Robles. In the 1800s, the town began as a rest stop for travelers and was known for its mineral hot springs. The landscape’s rolling hills, and fertile lands attracted settlers who established cattle ranches, almond orchards, and vineyards.

In 1998, Daniel Daou purchased the property now known as Daou Mountain, and along with his brother and business partner, George, began to realize his dream of making incredible wines, but his passion to make wine has been long in the making. The brothers were born in Lebanon where their parents owned a thriving furniture company. But their lives were upended by a missile fired near their home at the start of the 1973 Lebanese civil war. After recovering from serious injuries, the family relocated to France. It was here, surrounded by vineyards and centuries of winemaking tradition that Daniel and George developed their passion for wine.

With funding from their successful tech company, the Daou brothers began to realize their American dream. For years, Daniel had been studying books on winemaking and employing his growing knowledge by making wine at his California home. With support of their father, Joseph, and the inspiring words of a professor, “We live for the impact we have on each other,” Daniel took the first step towards realizing his vision.

“When we first got this property all we had was a dream, and a vision, and a lot of courage, and a lot of imagination, and a willpower to turn this soil and climate into pleasure in a bottle.”

~ Daniel Daou

The Daou Soul of a Lion Cabernet Sauvignon, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, represents the pinnacle of the Daou family’s winemaking. The name pays homage to Joseph Daou whose strength and courage was the bedrock of the survival and success of the family. The wine embodies their vision of all that the terroir of Daou Mountain and the passion of their winemaking can achieve. The vineyards are at 2200 feet elevation with steep slopes and a uniform exposure to the elements. Soil similar to the right bank of Bordeaux and a climate comparable to Napa Valley provide their 14 unique clones with the ability to produce harmonious wine with balance and complexity.

We tasted several Daou wines; Bodyguard, Sequentis, Pessimist, and Discovery Cabernet Sauvignon, and while each was very good, it was clear that Soul of a Lion stands alone as extraordinary. Soul of a Lion is comprised of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6 % Petite Verdot and is aged for 22 months in new French oak. In the glass, it is densely hued and reddish purple in color. The nose begins with fruit aromas of black cherry and blackberry. Notes of leather, tobacco, herbs, and mint emerge. This is a full-bodied cabernet that is velvety smooth on the palate with flavors of cassis, raspberry, and chocolate and integrated tannins. Berry and plum flavors extend to the lengthy finish with hints of coffee and black pepper. Overall, Soul of a Lion which retails for $150, is pricey for everyday drinking but it is undoubtedly a taste of heaven to be savored for a special occasion.

The 2021 Daou Sequentis Reserve Merlot (retail $52) is a limited-edition Merlot by winemaker Daniel Daou that explores his devotion to Bordeau-style wines. In the glass, it’s not as dense and dark-hued as Soul of a Lion, but hearty-looking, nonetheless. On the nose are aromas of berries, spice, oak, and floral notes. A medium to full body yields flavors of blackberry, mulberry, plum, and dark chocolate. Mid-palate reveals some raspberry, vanilla, and the tartness of pomegranate. A medium to long finish shows firm tannins with hint of bitterness. If I buy this again, I will hold it for a year to let it mellow.

The 2022 Daou Discovery Cabernet Sauvignon (retail $30) is 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with smaller amounts of Petite Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The Discovery line consists of Daou’s more budget-friendly offerings. This Cabernet is one of the better “entry level” wines I’ve had. Similar to Soul of a Lion, it’s a deeply dense ruby to purple in color. On the nose are red and black fruits, leather, smoke, mint, bell pepper, and cedar. The full-bodied palate is rich with plum, blackberry, dark chocolate, and coffee. It has a medium-length finish with a little grip. The finish and complexity are mostly where Discovery loses out to Soul of a Lion, but the Discovery Cabernet is definitely worthwhile at its price point.

The Pessimist by Daou 2021 (retail $30) is a blend of 62% Petite Sirah, 18% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah, and 3% Lagrein. This hearty, intense teeth-stainer of a wine falls into Daou’s more budget-friendly category, but still drinks above its price point. We decanted this bottle, allowing the alcohol (at 14.9% ABV) to blow off. The aromas took some time to present, but soon dark fruits, blackberry jam, sage, eucalyptus, leather, and smoke were abundant. On the palate is a full-bodied expression of juicy, ripe blackberry, prune, anise, tobacco, and coffee followed by a medium length finish with some grip and espresso notes.

We hope to visit Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, California in the near future. Thanks to Carmen and Nancy Marotta for selecting and procuring this special order of Daou wines, with help from Chet Malloy, from Circle Liquor Store in Somers Point, New Jersey for our wine tasting.