2016 Daou Soul of a Lion

The 2016 Soul Of A Lion is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. The nose offers pure, expressive, incredibly layered scents of espresso, cast iron, vanilla bean, cedar, cigar ash, black cherry jam, blackberry pie, fern, underbrush, exotic flowers and peppered meats. Medium to full-bodied, it bursts with flavor layers framed by wonderfully ripe, pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing incredibly long and packed to the gills with flavor. This is heavenly.

Super dark with a ton of bitter chocolate and cocoa powder, plus smoke and a hint of gunpowder. This has a great balance of full, powdery tannins and earthy power. Long, really complex finish. You could drink this now, but if you wait until at least 2021, it will give even more pleasure.

Also bottled the week before this tasting, the 2016 Soul of a Lion includes more Cabernet Sauvignon than the 2014 and 2015 and is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. It’s an incredible achievement and has sensational notes of crème de cassis, graphite, violets, and lead pencil shavings. Made in a pure California, pedal-to-the-metal style, with full body and loads of fruit, it stays balanced, has ultra-fine tannins, and a layered, seamless style that just glides over the palate. Don’t think Paso Robles can make world-class Cabernet Sauvignon? Try this wine. From high up off Adelaida Road, the Daou brothers continue to make a massive lineup of stellar wines. The 2016s are incredibly strong across the board and make the most of this brilliant vintage. In 2017, they opted to wait until after the heatwaves and then do extensive sorting, and this paid off brilliantly and I suspect they’ve made the top Bordeaux blends in the vintage. As I’ve said in the past, these wine compete with the best of Napa Valley and are some of the leading Bordeaux blends from Paso Robles.