DAOU Comes to Town

Describing a winery as “family owned” can mean many things.  But in the case of the Daou brothers – Georges and Daniel – the meaning could not be more literal.  Since their first vintage in 2010 they have been making wine from grapes they grow on a hillside off Adelaida Road on the west side of Paso Robles.

Lebanese born, the brothers immigrated as children to France to escape their country’s civil war.  They came to California to study engineering at UC San Diego, and went on to found a very successful high-tech company.  The eventual sale of that enterprise allowed them to retire early and to pursue winemaking.  The arc of that story is familiar in California.  But these brothers have built a business that is more ambitious than a boutique “second act.”  They have added significant acreage since acquiring their initial 600-acre estate (dubbed “Daou Mountain”) and are now among the largest of Paso’s 300 wineries.

James Laube could have focused on any of those 300 wineries for his column about the future of Paso Robles in the current issue of Wine Spectator (“What’s Past is Prologue,” October 15 & 31, 2017 issue).  But he wrote about Daou.  “After tasting Daou’s new reds I am more convinced than ever of the winery’s commitment to quality,” he writes, “as well as the region’s potential to elevate Cabernet to even greater success.”  The brothers’ keen fascination with Cabernet is at the center of what they do.  Daniel, the winemaker, was a founder of the recently formed Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux) Collective.  “We have challenged ourselves to produce first-growth Cabernet Sauvignon that will rival the greatest,” he writes on the winery’s website. “There is no question that we have the terroir. Success will come through reverence for this land— the idea that we are not ‘making’ something from it, but rather mirroring all that is already there.”

Daou came to town last week, thanks to Howie’s Market in San Gabriel, and I had the chance to taste five bottlings from Daou’s current releases.  The wines reflect a singular passion; like their creators, they are recognizably from the same “family.”  All are big wines – the Chardonnay included.  Each one exhibits intense ripe fruit alongside generous amounts of oak.  It is an aesthetic that places high quality fruit and its treatment in the winery on a pretty equal footing. These are wines destined for a table laden with rich food.

Tasting Notes/Observations

2015 Chardonnay Paso Robles: This is a full-bodied white wine.  Clear yellow with a light nose of tropical fruit.  Buttery and full bodied on the palate, with savory elements that are lightened by pineapple.   100% Chardonnay; 14.2% ABV $22

2016 Pessimist: This red blend (54% Petite Sirah, 27% Syrah and 19% Zinfandel) is Daou’s entry in the corner of the market appealing to the casual, younger wine lover.  Unlike the rest of Daou’s labeling and marketing, whose graphic language is reminiscent of United States paper currency, this bottle’s label features a color depiction of a downcast figure sitting under a large tree beneath a foreboding nighttime sky.  A dedicated website begins with the wine’s slogan, “a pessimist is never disappointed,” and follows up with the pledge “to create an authentic blend that even a pessimist will love.”  The fruit is sourced, not estate.  Medium garnet in the glass, with aromas of black fruit and tobacco.  More of the same on the palate with softer tannins and a more fruit-driven profile than the three wines that came next.  15.2% ABV$25

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles: Medium ruby with black fruit aromas.  Somewhat austere but elegantly balanced on the palate, full-bodied with notes of black fruit and herbs.  13.9% ABV; Ten months in 60% new French oak.  $24

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: Darker ruby in the glass and with more intense aromas, this is the first of two estate wines that concluded the tasting.  A solid black fruit core is joined by powerful oak influences.  14.5% ABV; Twenty months in 80% French oak. $49

2014 “Soul of a Lion:” Deep purple in the glass, this Bordeaux blend occupies the apex of Daou’s range, alongside two other blends called “Mayote” and “Micho.”  Once again, powerful black fruit is wedded with powerful wood influences resulting in firm tannins and lots of structure.  I wish we had been able to decant the last two wines as they were both a bit “tight” right from the bottles.  83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.  Twenty-two months in 100% French oak.  $130