Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Patrimony Cabernet Franc displays a luscious dark purple-red hue with fruit-driven aromas of boysenberry and black cherry pie, all interwoven with alluring accents of black pepper, charred meat, sage, tobacco and sweet oak. A full-bodied palate delivers flavors of muddled berries, mocha and Cajun spices across a canvas of fresh acidity, while well-rounded tannins bring staying power to a beautifully balanced finish. A wine that reveals the staggering potential of Cabernet Franc from the Patrimony Estate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A powerful and seductive nose highlighted by aromas of blackcurrants, coffee and licorice. The palate is seamless, with a full body and silky tannins, showing deep brooding notes of blackberries, tea leaves, cassia bark and bell peppers. Very complete and elegant. Aged in 100% new oak for 30 months. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Cabernet Franc is a barrel sample aging in 100% new French oak for 30 months. It's already very expressive, with pure scents of red and black currants, blueberries, green pepper, salami, tobacco and aniseed—it really leans into the cooler style of the vintage, without being lean or underripe. The palate offers particularly concentrated, detailed fruit. It has a balance of grainy tannins and juicy acidity that highlight its alluring herbal character and a long, nuanced finish.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Vinous
Dark as night and with a purple tinge, the 2021 Cabernet Franc Patrimony entrances the taster with a gorgeous bouquet that blends peppery herbs and florals with crushed blackberries, foreign spice and cedar shavings. This is pure class, elegant and cool-toned with perfectly ripe red and black fruits supported by vibrant acidity. Confectionary spices contrast with savory herbal tones toward the close. A peppery concentration is repeated through the finish, as this fades with edgy tannins and a dark chocolate resonance. The 2021 turns all pleasure dials to the max while maintaining exquisite balance. The 2021 is simply spellbinding.
Rating: 96+
An ecological gem rising from the hills of the ascendant Adelaida District in California’s Paso Robles AVA, Patrimony Estate is blessed with exceptional terroir and the extraordinary conditions to create powerfully elegant wines that rival the world’s best Bordeaux producers.
Patrimony Estate is the creation of brothers Daniel and Georges Daou, proprietors of DAOU Vineyards & Winery. Hailing from Lebanon by way of Paris, France, Daniel and Georges moved to the United States as young men and soon achieved success in business. But that was just the beginning. They had a fearless goal—to produce wines that rival the best in the world, and to curate a lifestyle to match. From terroir to winemaking to architecture, they leave no detail unexplored. They have fulfilled that goal with Patrimony.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.