Ten years ago, brothers Georges Daou and Daniel Daou set forth across California to find an unrivaled terroir for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, a quest that led them to a place of foretold greatness: DAOU Mountain in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. Here, their vision is to make California “first growth” wine, fulfilling the district’s promise as the world’s next benchmark for Bordeaux varieties.
“We will stop at nothing less than producing the perfect Cabernet Sauvignon, in steadfast service to DAOU Mountain and its incomparable terroir. We view
our quest as a sacred trust, one that extends to all who step foot on the mountain, and to all who experience the luxuries of DAOU wines around the world.” — G E O RG ES J. DAO U, Proprietor
DAOUVINEYARDS.COM
REGION: ADELAIDA DISTRICT AVA
DAOU MOUNTAIN
MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO, legendary winemaking authority
2,200 feet above sea level, rising from the heart of the Adelaida
André Tchelistcheff stood on the slopes of what would become
District. It is a terroir of power, purity and symmetry, with
known as DAOU Mountain, speaking of great things to come from
every natural asset necessary to pursue the perfect Cabernet
the surrounding Adelaida area in the rugged coastal range west of Paso
Sauvignon—including calcareous clay soils that evoke
Robles on California’s Central Coast. That moment has now arrived, as
Bordeaux’s Right Bank and a climate that closely corresponds
the Adelaida District—one of 11 sub-appellations of Paso Robles—is
to St. Helena. The wines are never acidified, as the optimal
today regarded as the next frontier for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.
level of acidity is achieved organically. Additionally, the
DAOU MOUNTAIN STANDS ALONE at an elevation of
phenolics produced on the mountain are uniquely high, yielding wines of prodigious color, texture and structure. Slopes ranging from 28% to 56% in grade Predominantly calcareous clay soils 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, facing the marine air channel of Templeton Gap High density planting ranging from 2,234 to 3,630 vines per acre Planted to Bordeaux varieties, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon Top Cabernet Sauvignon clones, including California heritage clones
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING THE WINEMAKING VISION OF DAOU is to seek absolute purity—in the flavors of the wines, and in how those flavors portray a true reflection of the land. Winemaker Daniel Daou is relentless in his pursuit of this ideal, implementing an array of proprietary techniques and technologies to create one of the most rigorously innovative winemaking programs in the world. DAOU subscribes to true dry farming where possible,
Daniel Daou employs cutting-edge technologies for
and deficit irrigation when needed—an approach
testing wine phenolics during fermentation, enabling
that maximizes fruit intensity while conserving a
him to precisely meet his vision for each wine’s color,
precious resource.
mouthfeel and tannin profile.
Daniel Daou collects intensive daily data—through
Daniel Daou supervises the coopering of his own
both manual field measurement and wireless sensor
proprietary French oak barrels. The DAOU 5-Year is
technology—to cultivate an optimal vine growth ratio
made from a rare fine-grain pink oak known as bois rosé,
during the crucial early days of the growing season.
which imparts an array of complex yet subtle flavors to
DAOU Estate wines are made with the proprietary “D20”
the DAOU Soul of a Lion & Patrimony. The DAOU
yeast cultured from DAOU Mountain, which is prized for
Hybrid is composed of oak from the Tronçais and Jupille
its remarkable ability to maintain acidity; extract color;
forests, and is designed specifically for maturing the
amplify flavor and texture; and produce lower alcohols.
DAOU Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
“We have challenged ourselves to produce wines that will rival the greatest. There is no
question that we have the terroir. Success will come through reverence for this land—the idea
that we are not ‘making’ something from it, but rather mirroring all that is already there.” — DA N I EL J. DAO U, Proprietor / Winemaker
ESTATE COLLECTION
RECENT ACCOLADES
DAOU ESTATE COLLECTION wines are
WINE ENTHUSIAST
made from the finest vineyard blocks on DAOU
96 points 2013 Estate Soul of a Lion 94 points 2013 Estate Mayote 94 points 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 92 points 2015 Reserve Chardonnay
Mountain. These wines showcase the visionary talent of Daniel Daou as a winemaker, and embody our mission to produce California “first growth” Cabernet Sauvignon.
WINE SPECTATOR 93 points 2014 Estate Soul of a Lion 90 points 2013 Estate Soul of a Lion 93 points 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
RESERVE COLLECTION
JEB DUNNUCK
DAOU RESERVE COLLECTION wines are made from premium fruit sourced from DAOU Mountain as well as select Paso Robles AVA vineyards, then blended to create stunningly harmonious offerings.
PASO ROBLES COLLECTION
95-97 points 2016 Estate Soul of a Lion 94-96 points 2015 Estate Soul of a Lion 97 points 2014 Estate Soul of a Lion 94-96 points 2016 Estate Mayote 93-95 points 2015 Estate Mayote 91-93 points 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 91+ points 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 91 points 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points 2016 Pessimist 90 points 2015 Pessimist
DAOU PASO ROBLES COLLECTION wines
ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE
are hand-harvested from standout local vineyards
95-97 points 2016 Estate Soul of a Lion
and made using the same techniques and
94-96 points 2016 Estate Soul of a Lion
standards as our DAOU Reserve and DAOU
94+ points 2015 Estate Soul of a Lion
Estate collections.
95 points 2014 Estate Soul of a Lion 94-96 points 2017 Estate Mayote 93-95 points 2016 Estate Mayote 94 points 2015 Estate Mayote
by
97 points 2014 Estate Mayote 92-94 points 2017 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 91-93 points 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
PESSIMIST is a wine made to rattle the status
91 points 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
quo and deliver unprecedented quality in
93 points 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
the world of approachable blends. Its aura is
90 points 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon 92 points 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
youthful, but its appeal is universal. It is sourced from some of Paso Robles’ finest vineyards and crafted according to the renowned standards of the DAOU winemaking program.
92 points 2016 Pessimist 90 points 2015 Pessimist 90 points 2014 Pessimist
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