Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet in color, this wine presents alluring aromas of red currant, cherry preserve, plum, fresh tobacco leaf and star anise with undercurrents of lavender, sagebrush and mineral. The palate is extravagantly layered with deep flavors of cherry, blueberry, baking spice, smoked meat and salted dark chocolate. An impeccable mouthfeel displays balanced tannins, fine acidity and perfectly integrated oak, all leading to an enduring and triumphant finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2021 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon commands the palate with layers of ripe, dark cherries, framed by finely judged, understated oak. Its depth and structural poise make it a natural partner for spice-kissed dishes—especially Moroccan-style lamb ribs glazed with pomegranate molasses, warm cumin, and a hint of cinnamon. (Tasted: February 2, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Dark-fruited and toasted aromas of wild blackberries, tobacco, seaweed and orange zest. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity. It shows notes of bramble berries, leather, graphite and roast meat. Wonderfully balanced and fresh. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 is a barrel sample of Cabernet Sauvignon maturing for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It unfolds slowly on the nose to reveal redcurrants, cherry preserves, fresh tobacco leaves, aniseed, sagebrush and lavender. The full-bodied palate has a core of perfumed berry fruit structured by generous, powdery tannins and energetic acidity, and it finishes with alluring floral nuances.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Vinous
A bouquet of rum-soaked cherries and roses is complicated by hints of tobacco, sweet spice and vanilla bean as the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony comes to life in the glass. It’s elegant and silky, with an almost molten chocolate mouthfeel. Oak-inflected crushed wild berries and cherries ride a core of vibrant acidity. A web of sweet tannins remains through the lightly structured yet long finale. A pleasantly bitter tinge of blackberries and mocha resonates. While wonderfully balanced and enjoyable, the 2021 simply lacks the impactful wow factor of past vintages. That said, no fan of DAOU will want to miss it.
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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
