2023 Daou Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Brothers Georges and Daniel Daou searched the world for a site capable of producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon before settling on a steep, remote mountain in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. Their 212 acre hilltop estate rises to 2,200 feet, with slopes reaching a 56 percent grade, terrain the legendary winemaking authority André Tchelistcheff once called a jewel of ecological elements. Family owned and operated, DAOU set out to blend Old World winemaking tradition with New World technique, aiming to build wines that could stand alongside the world's most respected appellations.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is built mostly from estate grown fruit, rounded out with Petit Verdot, a touch of Merlot, and a small amount of Cabernet Franc for added complexity. The high elevation site gives the vines cooler nights and intense sun exposure across the day, conditions that concentrate flavor while keeping the fruit from turning heavy or jammy. Grapes are farmed and harvested with an eye toward preserving that natural intensity through fermentation and aging.

The nose is richly perfumed with black cherry, cassis, and plum, layered with desert sage, sandalwood, and a dusty mineral edge. On the palate it turns rich and weighty, with black raspberry, fig, and baking spice framed by fine grained tannins that build to a structured, espresso tinged finish. Pour it with smoked brisket, wild boar stew, or a dark chocolate torte.