WINE REVIEW: 2016 DAOU Cabernet Franc, Adelaida District, Paso Robles, CA ($95)

by Andrew Chalk

Recent DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon and red blend ‘Soul of a Lion’ releases any new vintage of a red wine from this winery is an event. So it is with Cabernet Franc which DAOU blends into several of their wines as well as releasing a mono varietal. I invite the serious Cabernet Franc aficionado to blind taste this wine against some of the best Saint-Émilion wines that predominate in Cabernet Franc. They might be surprised at its favorable refinement and complexity.

Appearance: Deep blue-black and opaque.

Nose: Fragrant nose of French oak, hints of pyrazines but much subdued compared with most California Cabernet Franc wines. Notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, black cherry, plum, licorice, road tar.

Palate: Chewy tannins wrap a core of dark fruit and lead pencil. I am astonished that this wine can be so soft at this stage of its life.

Overall: A wine that can be drunk now with red meat (steak, prime rib, etc.) or put away for several years.

Sample