DAOU Soul of a Lion 2012
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Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Deep, lavish and creamy aromas of fudge, espresso, cola, vanilla and perfectly ripe black currants and berrries greet the nose with measured force. The wine lands on the palate with aplomb, framed by silky yet grippy tannins and boasting flavors of espresso, dense blueberry, black peppercorn, bay leaf and pencil shavings. The woody angles will intensify with age; drink 2018–2032. Cellar Selection.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
A growing number of Paso Robles vintners are proving that world-class Cabernet is not exclusive to Napa Valley, and this bottling from Daou emphatically makes the point. It is an impressive wine of enormous richness and reach, yet it shows a sense of real refinement as well. It is wonderfully concentrated with a striking sense of fruity purity and complexing adjuncts of sweet oak, graphite and cocoa throughout. While moderately tannic and showing the grip that the variety predicts, it is neatly balanced with nary a suggestion of coarseness. It is serious and special stuff that begs for no fewer than five or six years before drinking, and we have absolutely no doubt that it will continue to improve for a decade or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The flagship wine is the Soul Of A Lion and it's always a Cabernet-dominated blend that incorporates Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The 2012 Soul Of A Lion was bottled last year and has a supple, polished and sexy feel in its creme de cassis, blackberry, pencil shavings and ground herb-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, concentrated and more approachable and polished than I remember from barrel, it has tons of charm and will drink nicely over the coming decade.
Winemaker Daniel Daou called 2014 the vintage of his career. This was backed up in my tastings and these are easily the greatest Bordeaux blends I’ve tasted from Paso Robles. I’ll likely taste these from barrel next year as well, but readers shouldn't miss these blockbusters. Looking at the 2013s, they're are a step up over the 2012s and have classic, nicely structured and textured profiles. Similar in style to a scaled down 2014, Daou commented that this was a beautiful vintage with no heat spikes, high phenolics and inky colors. Located at one of the highest spots in the appellation, it’s worth noting this tiny micro-climate of this estate and it has more in common with Napa Valley than Paso Robles. In short, these are gorgeous wines that continue to show what's possible with Bordeaux varieties from Paso Robles.
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Wine Spectator
Offers a massive core of earth, cedar and dried berry flavors, shaded by roasted herb and smoky, toasty oak nuances, with notes of chocolate brownie and graphite. This is ultimately a fairly tannic, chewy style that should benefit from a few years of cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2016 through 2028.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2012 Daou Soul of a Lion is a complex and fine expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright with its fascinating aromas—dusty chocolate, flowers and sweet oak—this wine is simultaneously rich and elegant. Drinking pretty well now, another decade will bring even greater cohesion to this special effort. (Tasted: August 5, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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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.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.