Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Mocha cream, pencil shaving and dried herb aromas are set against a backdrop of black currant fruit in this big but balanced bottling from the Daou brothers. It’s soft on the palate, where the texture commands as much attention as the flavors, in a matrix of mouth-coating tannins that frame its cola, cocoa, black plum and cherry notes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There's roughly a thousand cases of the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and this 100% Cabernet offers full-bodied, ripe and voluptuous notes of creme de cassis, black currants, coffee beans and ample sweet oak. It has a serious, tightly wound and tannic feel, and will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and have 10-15 years of overall longevity.
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Wine Spectator
Hard and sturdy, with an earthy mix of gravel, road tar, tobacco leaf and savory berry, gaining depth and nuance on the finish. A good bet for greater reward in a year or two. Best from 2020 through 2033.
As Paso Robles, California has soared in number of wineries and gained in popularity, Cabernet Sauvignon has firmly taken root as the region’s number one varietal. Alone, it accounts for just over 40% of plantings and is grown throughout both the western and eastern sides of the appellation. Though viticulture here dates back to the 18th century, Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t emerge as a significant grape here until the 1970’s. But since then it has definitely made up for lost time.
Legendary winemaker and consultant Andre Tchelistcheff first recognized Paso’s potential with Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1960’s. The calcareous soil and dramatic diurnal temperature changes of Paso’s westside particularly intrigued him. Today modern winemaking techniques and focused experimentation with various clones, rootstocks and vineyard strategies optimize the region's ideal combination of soil and climate to deliver the best fruit possible.
The results are evident in the glass. Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon can be mesmerizing, with rich aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, graphite, toasty oak, vanilla and spice. The structure, balance and unbridled opulence of these wines impress from first sip to last. Not surprisingly, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignons have steadily grown in reputation, not just in the U.S., but around the world.