DAOU Reserve Zinfandel 2012
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Wilfred
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Over the last two decades, the industry has kind of forgotten Paso Robles as an area of superior Zinfandel grapes. Though excellent wines have always been produced in this region, few have gotten the attention that this area deserves. The 2012 Daou exhibits tremendous red fruit brightness and persistence. Long and lively, this looks like a great pairing with rotisserie chicken. Drinks well now.(Tasted: August 5, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich cherry and spicy black pepper introduce the nose to this wine from the Adelaida district. The flavors explore the more nuanced, not overly jammy side of the grape, with tart acidity and a good tannic backbone ensuring a long life. Decent now, but better to drink 2018–2022. Cellar Selection
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Daou continues to make Zinfandels that break from the typical Paso Robles model and, as a group, their firmer and more tannic structures to some degree recall Cabernet. This one is ripe and weighty with plenty of rich oak and all of the rich, briary spice and blackberry fruit that its name predicts, but it also shows a slight curranty component and toughens up after a deceptively plush start. It closes with enough heat to notice but not so much as to be a real bother, and most everything about it argues for a minimum of five more years of aging.
Brothers Georges Daou and Daniel Daou set forth across the globe to find an unrivaled terroir for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, a quest that led them to a place of foretold greatness: DAOU Mountain in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. DAOU Family Estates is a family owned and operated winery committed to producing collectible, world-class wine to rival the most respected appellations. Situated on a 212-acre hilltop estate in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles, this remarkable mountain was once described by André Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaking authority, as "a jewel of ecological elements."
DAOU Mountain stands alone at an elevation of 2,200 feet, rising from the heart of the Adelaida District in the rugged coastal range west of Paso Robles. The steep slopes here reach up to 56 percent, with uniform exposure to the elements across the estate. It is a terroir of power, purity, and symmetry with every natural asset necessary to pursue the perfect Cabernet Sauvignon—including calcareous clay soils that emulate Bordeaux’s Right Bank and a climate that mirrors St. Helena.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.