2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Discovery

The Daou brothers, Daniel and Georges, have definitely rocked the boat in Paso Robles with their spare-no-expense winery and tasting room as well as high-end red wines, mostly based on Bordeaux varieties, that can rival the best that Napa has to offer. These are rich, extroverted wines, usually lavishly oaked, intensely fruity and often structured for long aging. The latest set of releases, almost all from 2019, continue that trend, and they make a case for being at the very top of the local pecking order, quality-wise, for their respective varieties. As noted, the Daou wines can stand up to many of the best Napa wines and, although far from inexpensive, they sell for quite a bit less than those of similar or lesser quality from up north. In recent vintages, the Daous have ventured into Pinot Noir, which they source from one of the top vineyards in the Central Coast. The results have been outstanding, especially if your tastes run to the exotic, concentrated and intense expression of the variety.