Winemaker Notes
This DAOU Reserve Chardonnay comes from a special selection of old vines in Edna Valley. Here, in one of California's most esteemed Chardonnay regions, these mature vines produce a wine of remarkable depth and elegance. In the glass, a dazzling golden straw color teases the elegance to come. Aromas of pineapple, golden apple and jasmine reveal notes of peaches and cream. A rounded palate brings layers of honeydew melon, citrus, pear and rose hip with alluring accents of vanilla. Bright acidity extends into a balanced, mouthwatering finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Sweetly spiced and creamy yet with a vibrant core, this showcases opulent yet well-wrangled flavors of mashed autumn orchard fruit with warm vanilla, hazelnuts and white figs, as well as a seam of chalky minerality. The finish unfurls with layered elegance. Drink or hold.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The nose on this bottling is lightly honeyed and cut by hints of lemon balm. The palate is softer in texture, showing toasted almond, lemon cake and more honey, with a hint of earthiness on the finish.
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.
There is a power within this Mountain they call home. It is a power that can turn mere raindrops and roots into extraordinary wines—and into lasting relationships—that will endure for decades. Everyday the winery strives to create an experience as beautiful as these wines, ensuring that everyone feels like family. There is nothing more important than human connection.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
California’s coolest wine growing area, Edna Valley excels in the production of high quality Central Coast wines like Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Blends and aromatic white wines. It has a cool Mediterranean climate and an incredibly long growing season, giving late-ripening varieties plenty of opportunity to develop great phenolic complexity.
Its northwest to southeast orientation creates a direct path for cool Pacific air and fog to penetrate the valley from the Los Osos and Morro Bay area inwards. Low hillsides of both calcareous and volcanic soils are home to much of the vineyard acreage of the Edna Valley.