Pessimist 2018/20, Daou, Paso Robles

Inky and dark aubergine in color. A powerhouse vintage with a plethora fruit showcasing blueberry, boysenberry, plum and strawberry. Smoky notes of truffle and roasted coffee are accompanied by accents of floral consisting of lavender and lilac, highlighted by underlying nuances of buttered toast, vanilla, and a breath of cool wintergreen.

Founded by brothers Georges and Daniel Daou in 2009, DAOU Family Estates was created with the vision to make California “first growth” wine. Located in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, DAOU Mountain provides the terroir to achieve this. Standing 2,200 feet above sea level, on calcareous clay soils that evoke Bordeaux’s Right Bank, the altitude supports the soils, providing the perfect terroir for the production of high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate was named a “jewel of ecological elements” by the father of modern American winemaking, André Tchelistcheff. The winemaking vision of DAOU Family Estates, falls under Daniel’s meticulous guidance, he is relentless in his pursuit of absolute fruit purity, implementing an array of proprietary techniques and technologies to create one of the most rigorously innovative winemaking programs in the world. This obsessive approach has not gone unnoticed – DAOU Family Estates was recently nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s American Winery of the Year.

10 months in 50% new French oak