Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Review
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, USA.
The Daou vineyard and winery is located on Daou mountain in Paso Robles and sits at 2,200 feet elevation, 14 miles from the ocean.
Daou was started by two brothers, Daniel and George, who came from France after originally fleeing Beirut, Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
They started Daou with nothing but the land and built the vineyard and winery from the ground up, after purchasing the land.
These days, Daou produces multiple wines, including the Cabernet Sauvignon in this review, which they consider their “Discovery” Cabernet Sauvignon.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Review
According to the wine’s tasting notes, this wine is blended with three other varietals.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon blend:
- 77.5% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 15.6% Petit Verdot
- 6.5% Merlot
- 0.4% Cabernet Franc
Additionally, this wine was aged for 8 months in 50% new French oak barrels.
From the Bottle Label:
Experience Winemaker Daniel Daou’s mastery of Cabernet Sauvignon. Made with care and precision, this wine showcases the depth, complexity and elegance that can be achieved in Paso Robles.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Bottle Label
I tasted the 2022 vintage of this wine.
Appearance
In the glass, this wine is quite dark. It’s dark purple in color, suggesting a rich bold wine.
Aroma
On the nose, this wine leads with strong notes of red fruits and berries.
There’s also a hint of rich mushroom or forest floor in the aroma. I don’t often encounter that with Cabernet Sauvignon, so definitely complex and interesting.
The tasting notes mention secondary aroma notes of black olive, so it’s possible that’s what I was perceiving as a mushroom note.
I also noted a faint sting of alcohol in the aroma.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon alcohol content 14.5% by volume per the bottle.
Overall, an enjoyable aroma.
Taste
When I tasted this wine, I was a bit surprised. I was expecting deep, rich flavors, but was actually greeted by a brighter, Pinot Noir like palate. Nothing wrong with that, just surprised given the richer color and aroma.
I love surprises when it comes to wine, so all good!
On the palate, I noted flavors of red fruits and little bit of secondary richness (like black cherry). I also discovered that more of the secondary richness exposed itself as the wine had a chance to breathe and get a bit of air.
Plus, that allowed the alcohol to dissipate a bit, probably muting the aforementioned “brightness.”
Overall, tasty flavors!
Mouthfeel and Tannins
Daou Cabernet had a grape juicy mouthfeel. At least that’s what I thought the wine’s texture was similar to.
In terms of the tannins, they were definitely present and notable. A noticed just the tiniest bit of bitterness, but nothing off-putting.
The tasting notes called the tannins fine-grained and I think that describes them well.
Finish
The wine’s flavor trajectory dropped off quicker than other Cabernet I’ve tasted.
With that said, I’d qualify this wine as having a medium finish.
Overall Opinion of Daou Cabernet Sauvignon
Overall, I found this wine to be mildly complex and enjoyable in aroma and taste.
I enjoyed the little surprises it gave me and am interested in trying more Daou wines in the future.
I’ve heard their Chardonnay is really good, so that might be a good candidate for a future review.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon price $24.99.
And one more thing, I’d suggest letting this wine breathe (or decant it) to let it soften a bit before enjoying it.
Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Food Pairing Suggestion
When I tasted this wine, I immediately knew this would be best paired with a juicy grilled ribeye.
The tannins and brightness will likely be muted and the red fruits will certainly stand out.
