Winemaker Notes
A deeply personal wine for Darioush for its sense of creative expression, discovery, and intrigue. An exceptional quality distinguishes each vintage from the last, with distinctiveness here more treasured than consistency. Each vintage label bears a rich example of historical Persian art.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The luxury, flagship offering is the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Darius II, a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot that came in at 14.8% natural alcohol. Only 250 cases are produced from what are presumably their best barrels. More formidably endowed, backward and brooding, it reveals an opaque plum/purple color along with rich, chewy, powerful flavors (still surprisingly unevolved for a ten-year-old wine) as well as impressive balance and purity. This blockbuster, full throttle effort needs another 3-5 years of cellaring, and seems capable of lasting two or more decades.
Rating: 93+
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.