How The Daou Brothers Crafted Patrimony, A $300 Luxury Wine From Paso Robles - Forbes Magazine
97pts James Suckling
Inviting aromas of black and blue fruits with violets, cedar, crushed stones and graphite. A little minty, too. The impressive, compact tannin structure gives depth to the wine, so fine and polished with some chalky texture to it. Stony minerality. Power and delicacy, simultaneously. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% cabernet franc. Really long and precise.
96pts Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Caves Des Lions comes from vines around the winemaker's house and is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc brought up in new oak. Its inky hue is followed by a great nose of chocolatey dark fruits, espresso, Asian spices, tobacco, and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, it has notable purity of fruit and a great finish, with plenty of tannins.
92pts Wine Advocate
The 2020 Caves des Lions is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Cabernet Franc. It matured for 22 months in 100% new French oak and was bottled in December of 2022. It's somewhat rustic and muted on the nose, with a dense core of fruit and wafts of tar and woodsmoke. The full-bodied palate is rustically styled with loads of chewy tannins, rounded acidity and a woodsmoke-laced finish.
Winemaker's Notes
With an inky ruby color, the 2020 Caves des Lions offers elegant aromas of chocolate-covered espresso beans with nuanced layers of blueberries, savory notes of charcuterie, pipe tobacco, and woodsmoke. This festival of flavors continues on the palate with notes of fresh fruit, cayenne pepper, plum jam, and pomegranate. The bold tannins seamlessly balance the fresh and rounded acidity leading to an unwavering finish. This full-bodied and flawlessly intricate wine will surprise you now with its elegance, and later with its longevity.
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc
History
Patrimony is the creation of brothers Georges Daou and Daniel Daou, proprietors of DAOU Vineyards & Winery.
Hailing from Lebanon by way of Paris, France, Georges and Daniel moved to the United States as young men and soon achieved business success. But that was just the beginning. From their family history and worldview was now imagined a fearless goal—to produce the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon, and to curate a lifestyle to match. From terroir to winemaking to architecture, they leave no detail unexplored, so that this wine, and this place, may never fail to astonish.
