Winemaker Notes
The 2015 Soul of a Lion is a beautifully concentrated wine accompanied by tremendous elegance that incorporates some old world flavors due to the vintage’s characteristics. Endowed with beautiful purity and texture, it has all the standard classic Cabernet Sauvignon flavors that include Graphite, Lead Pencil Shavings, Blackcurrants and Ash. The higher percentage of Cabernet Franc in this vintage gives it a beautiful aroma and an additional elegant component that rounds it up for a very long finish. Drinking surprising well today, we expect it to shut down shortly for a few years just to be re-awakened for long term cellaring.
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 11% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Soul of a Lion is a blockbuster, and one of the finest wines from this estate to date. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 22 months in new barrel, it offers a Bordeaux-like bouquet (it reminds me of a great vintage of Leoville Las Cases) of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, spice, and cedar. Rich, full-bodied, layered, and powerful, it’s beautifully balanced and has no hard edges. Hide bottles for 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
Rating: 97+ -
Tasting Panel
Rich, round, and full-bodied with aromas of meaty dark chocolate and porcini mushroom, this concentrated and powerful wine hails from the DAOU Mountain vineyard at an elevation of 2,200 feet and shows intense flavors and chalky tannins. Black peppercorns, ash, and blackberry make up this king of the Paso Robles jungle.
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Wine Enthusiast
Intense aromas of smoke, black currant and crushed purple flowers make for an impressive entry to this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot. The palate combines the tang of plum skin and dimpled berries with flavors of peppercorn, violet and gravelly minerality.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This barrel sample of 2015 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 11% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it offers up a nose of crème de cassis, mocha, dusty soil and spice box. The rich, medium to full-bodied palate is all earthy/meaty/gamey at this primary stage, rich with firm, chewy tannins and finishing long with lovely expression. (92-94)
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Wine Spectator
Rich and firm, with a solid core of dark berry, plum, blueberry and blackberry flavors that fan out evenly on the palate, ending with a burst of melted black licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.
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 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.
