2018 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Daou call this their 'Discovery' Cabernet Sauvignon, and refer to it thus on their website. So it is very confusing that they do not put that word anywhere on the label. Fruit from local vineyards in the Adelaida District rather than from their own estate. 10 months in French oak, 50% new. Darkest crimson. Inviting peppery and pure black fruit on the nose, lot of rich cassis. Big and powerfully tannic but with pretty good freshness despite the obvious oak and chewy tannins. Slightly bitter on the finish. But there's dark chocolate too and it is certainly packed with fruit and the tannins are finely layered. Lovers of big, bold, oaky reds could approach this now but I would wait a while. (JH)
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Shimmering ruby-red. Lively cherry and black currant aromas show a primary jamminess and take on floral and woodsmoke notes with air. Supple and broad in the mouth, offering juicy dark berry and bitter cherry flavors that turn sweeter on the back half. Smoke and tobacco nuances come up on a long, smooth finish that's given gentle grip by round, even tannins.
This entry-level Cabernet Sauvignon is the only Cabernet in the Daou portfolio made entirely of purchased fruit and is intended to be drunk young. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged 11 months in 60% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple, it opens with pure crème de cassis and meaty touches, slow to unfurl, over pure blackberries, cedar and dried thyme. Medium to full-bodied, it explodes with flavor in the mouth, purely defined but very ripe, with a very finely grained frame and a youthful cloaking of new oak, finishing long, fresh and classy.
Checking in at 13.9% natural alcohol, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is outstanding, with a forward, charming yet also structured style. Classy notes of cassis, currants, and violets all emerge from the glass, and it’s already drinking beautifully.