2022 Daou Vineyards 'Reserve' Merlot Paso Robles
Daniel Daou’s Merlot is no understudy—it’s a showstopper. Bold, brooding Paso fruit meets Bordeaux polish in this Reserve bottling, with notes of ripe plum, toasted pecan, cedar, and tropical florals leaping from the glass. Aged to plush perfection and crafted with the same uncompromising vision that put DAOU Mountain on the map, this is hedonistic, high-altitude Merlot that dreams big—and delivers.
Scoop up a few bottles—your next dinner party will thank you.
Up on the highest vineyard in Paso Robles, brothers Georges and Daniel Daou have raised the bar for Bordeaux-style wines in central California. The brothers, engineers by trade, were raised in Paris and Cannes before immigrating to the US in their 20s. By their early 30s, they had sold a successful computer networking company, and Daniel promptly retired from tech and threw himself headfirst into learning winemaking. Between 2007 and 2012 the brothers purchased 212 hillside acres on the west side of Paso Robles. Legendary consulting winemaker “Maestro” André Tchelistcheff originally consulted on the first Cabernet vineyards here in the 1960s, and described the Daou’s hill as “A jewel of ecological elements,” referring to the site’s high altitude (2,200 feet, which is where Napa’s famous Howell Mountain tops out), limestone soils (a true rarity in the US), and cool climate, which allows the wines to attain full ripeness and deep colors without having to be acidified. Cab lovers, this is a winery to watch. Here we have unique terroir, fanatically scientific winemakers who use only free-run juice, and reality pricing, not vanity pricing. These three wines would make up a great mixed case to sock away and savor. We concur with this sentiment: “These are easily the greatest Bordeaux blends I’ve tasted from Paso Robles.” – The Wine Advocate.
Wine Enthusiast
Deep and dark aromas of charred walnut and caramel-drizzled baked fruits show on the nose of this seriously considered Merlot. The palate is viscous and toasty, offering mocha, pecan crumble and baked berry flavors.