Jeb Dunnick [WA] gave Daou’s SOUL OF A LION a 96. This is the highest rating EVER given any Paso Cab or Bordeaux Blend!
If nothing more it proves that at least Paso can make decent Cabs [which I never thought could happen].
In any event Daniel [winemaker] and his brother George [money side] are two extremely nice men and it could not have happened to a nicer two guys.
Bravo/
Well, not proof, exactly. Jeb has a history of awarding 93 points to a wine if the cork comes out of the bottle, and scores then go up from there. I have not tasted the wine, and am saying nothing bad about the wine or its producers. Just injecting a reality check on Jeb’s tendency toward irrational exuberance where points are concerned…
Does that mean you think there’s such a thing as rational exuberance where points are concerned? Just curious, as most of your posts would seem to indicate otherwise.
Scores all relative - and in your case - your feelings about third party raters are well known.
That’s funny. I have a bottle of the 09 Reserve on my counter here at work, waiting to be tasted. I knew next to nothing about the project, but the history sounds interesting after a peek at their site. I guess I’ll see if the wine is as interesting in a minute.
I have in fact tasted these wines… out of the barrel initially. They have been favorably reviewed by less known critics.
Jeb has his own palate and identifiable preferences… as we all do. Human nature. But, I believe his ratings are appropriate most of the time. He clearly has a preference/taste for Rhone varietals, and has developed an expertise in that area. There aren’t many critics who really have a knowledge of or specialty in American Rhone varietals. I find him a welcome addition to the world of third party raters. I believe there is a legitimate and unique Rhone varietal scene in the US worthy of educated coverage.
Back to the point, Daou is a very unique producer. They are dealing with Central California fruit of origin. This has lead to some unique and innovative blends. That said, Daniel is decidedly a winemaker initially versed in and trained in the European tradition. The Heart of a Lion is a very interesting wine because it is Central Coast fruit of origin made with free run juice, but with a fairly European sensibility. The Mayote, which brings syrah into the blend, is certainly a Central Coast hybrid. But, syrah was arguably at one time snuck into Bordeaux blends for various reasons… and there is modern evidence that reflects why winemakers quietly felt it reasonable to do so.
I think we should grab a few choice bottles of '96 point Cab blends" from Napa, Bordeaux, etc. of the same vintage and go up to Daou next year, something some have already been discussing (trip to Paso thread) and hold our own blind tasting. I also propose that we revisit these wines five, ten, twenty years out since age worthiness is a matter of relevance to some of us as well.
I personally find these scores quite credible. That is me!
Theoretically possible, I suppose, but in this case, I was just having a little fun at Alan Greenspan’s expense, if THAT is theoretically possible. Jeb is a nice young man, but created from the rib (or Flannery’s ribcap, as the case my be) of Parker himself, and he is pretty much identically profligate with points. But enough about Jeb. Back to Daou…
I agree with you that Jeb is a nice young man. Non-combative! More a person to say good things, or nothing at all. I was a bit disappointed by his coverage of Tercero, actually, as I believe the wines are fine, it is a hard “club” to break into… that A list.
That said, doesn’t his being “nice” and intrinsically kind hearted differentiate him somewhat from RP!?!
Can’t seem to find a clip but a video of Vanessa Daou singing her song “Taste the Wine” would seem very appropriate here…
Well, my initial impresson of the Daou Reserve is that it is a very good wine in the current California Cabernet style, particularly in texture. It is a plush wine. It definitely has the herbal/vegetable streak that seems very Paso to me, and the fruit is definitely closer to the red spectrum than a comparable Napa Cab.
Anyway, for fans of Cal Cab, this would be an interesting alternative. At about $50, it’s comparable to other good Cabs in the range.
Ah…Vannessa Daou, a very tasty chanteuse! Are you familiar with her Zipless ? Very strange but very erotic and quite different from her other work.
Oh yeah, I’ve got them all. She is erotic writer Erica Jong’s niece and they seem to share a certain vibe.
Bill- a colleague and I were just talking about the Jeb’s scores. It seems that 96 is the new 91.
I’m sure that Justin Baldwin will be relieved to hear that a ‘decent’ Cabernet can be made in Paso.
James Suckling gave it a 101 actually, only the 13th time he has broken the 100 point barrier.
More funny. I said the exact same thing to a co-worker while we tasted.
Jeb scored the L’Aventure Estate Cuvee, 2009 and 2010, 96 and 97 respectively. It’s like a 60% blend of Cab and Petite Verdot cut with a hefty 40% dollop of syrah. Pretty sure 100% new oak. I visited the winery last Christmas break. Too much wine for my country palate, but I did grab some of the cuvees for my Cali-minded dinner guests, and they seem to enjoy it immensely. Lots of new oak and alcohol, very fruit forward and chewy.
L’Adventure’s wines are more comparable to the Daou Mayote, in the sense that syrah is in the blend. I believe there is a huge difference between the Reserve Cab and the Soul of a Lion, although they are both great for their price points.
I also agree that Justin shouldn’t be overlooked in this thread, although his wines didn’t make their way into Jeb’s paper article. Geographically, Justin isn’t incredibly far from Daou either. I do think that these wines are somewhat different in style. I think that Justin is probably happy to have more quality cab coming out of Paso/central coast… and again… there are other good producers in the area. I just really think Daou is doing something special, and I am glad to see Jeb recognizing that fact.
Justin is long gone and living in the low desert. I doubt he cares but idid overlook his wines.
Completely. They are joined only at the wallet and the 96-100-point range…