Reviews & Ratings

2016 DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon "Soul of the Lion"

Winery: DAOU

Vintage: 2016

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Soul of the Lion"

Wine Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc & 4% Petit Verdot

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Paso Robles

State or country: CA

Price: $150

Cases produced: 2,200

KWG Score: 92.8 (based on 5 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Excellent (95)

Review date: April 14, 2019

Wine Review: This opaque and midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon based wine from Daou opens with a coconut and dark chocolate bouquet with a hint of black cherry and oak. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, concentrated and rich. The flavor profile is similar to the nose. It displays a delicious blend of coconut and dark chocolate with notes of black currant and nicely integrated oak and gentle minerality. The finish is rather dry and its dusty tannins build up and last for a very very long time. I would decant this big boy in the near term and serve it with a cowboy ribeye. Enjoy – Ken

Winemaker Notes: The 2016 Soul of a Lion is a balanced, elegant and rich wine from a superb vintage that allowed for extended hanging. The smooth and silky tannins are very well integrated with the fruit and acidity of the wine. In the glass, the wine reveals a deep and complex bouquet of cassis, black currant, licorice, incense, ripe plums and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, the wine is full bodied, layered and complex with a persistent finish. It is hard to drink this wine without respecting the great structure that will allow it to evolve nicely for years to come. A true blockbuster vintage that showcases the great power that comes from DAOU Mountain.

Buy it: Use 1000 Corks to find stores that sell Daou 2016 Soul of the Lion.