2018 Daou Reserve Seventeen Forty
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The 2018 Seventeen Forty Reserve is made entirely of free-run juice, composed mainly of Cabernet Franc blended with 22% Merlot and aged 18 months in 100% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple, it opens with singular morel mushrooms, cast iron, braised meats and potpourri-like perfume with a core of crème de cassis. The palate is medium-bodied and finely pixelated with incredible lift and freshness, its intense, perfumed, juicy fruit character lingering on the finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
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Opaque ruby. Dark berry liqueur, fruitcake, smoky oak and vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Stains the palate with intense black/blue fruit, mocha and floral pastille flavors and baking spice and mineral nuances that add firm back-end cut. Fleshy and deep but lively as well, thanks to a core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a gently tannic note, displaying sharp focus and strong, fruity persistence. All new French oak.
A Pomerol-like bouquet of ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, violets, sappy herbs, and damp earth emerge from the 2018 1740 Reserve. Full-bodied, it offers beautiful purity, a clean, balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. Bottled just a month ago, it's going to drink beautifully for 10-12 years or more.