2016-2021 Patrimony Adelaida District Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical

“What can be considered the flagship of the estate, the 2016 Patrimony is a sensational Cabernet Sauvignon that can stand up the best out there. Incredibly pure notes of cassis, spice box, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and a terrific sense of minerality all flow from this pure Paso Robles beauty that shows the quality that can be achieved from these magical limestone soils. (JD) 98+” (10/2019)

“The 2016 Patrimony is made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep purple-black color and explosive, unbelievably layered nose of lilacs, violets, vanilla, espresso, rooibos tea leaves, underbrush and cinnamon stick aromas mingling over a core of blueberry compote, blackberry pie, black cherry preserves and pure blackcurrant fruit with an undercurrent of iron and graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate gives up stunningly explosive flavor layers. It has an unbelievably ripe, pixelated frame and fantastic juiciness, finishing very long, lifted and layered. This is stunning. (EB)” (01/2020)

“Bright purple. Sexy, expansive aromas of dark berry preserves, cherry-cola, cured tobacco, smoky oak and vanilla are complemented by exotic spice and floral topnotes. Smooth, broad, alluringly sweet cassis, cherry and floral pastille flavors show outstanding depth and energy, with a suave spicecake note emerging with aeration. The cherry and floral notes resonate on a wonderfully long, seamless finish that features youthful tannins and lingering spiciness. (JR)” (02/2020)

“Deep and darkly hued in the glass while rich and intense but still balanced on the nose, this luxury-level bottling by the Daou brothers begins with aromas of blackberry, wood spice, lilac, cola and char on the nose. Lavish, expertly polished tannins frame the sip, where rich flavors of cassis, toast and coffee extract are powerful yet refined. *Cellar Selection* (MK)” (03/2020)

“A firm, racy red with blackberry, blueberry and dark-chocolate character. Solid tannins. Very pretty and long. This is a plush, yet a reserved red for the area.” (04/2021)

“Deep purple-colored, the tiny production 2017 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 30 months in new French. This rocking wine has a huge nose of deep black fruits, new leather, unsmoked tobacco, exotic spices, and chocolate. Full-bodied and stunningly concentrated, with awesome tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and just a gorgeous finish, it's a magical wine and an incredible 2017. Bravo!” (09/2020)

“The 2017 Patrimony is a lavish Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, packed to the gills with texture and flavor. It is made of 100% Cabernet aged 30 months in 100% new French oak. The nose offers pure scents of chocolate-covered cherries, rosewater and purple flowers with touches of cedar, pencil shavings and cast iron. The palate is powerful but ultra classy, with pixelated tannins, lush fruitcake-laced, ripe flavors with good freshness and a long finish. (EB)” (10/2020)

“Dark, bright-rimmed purple. Powerful, highly expressive scents of cherry liqueur, cassis, fruitcake, vanilla and rose oil; pipe tobacco and smoky oak nuances add complexity. Deeply concentrated, oak-spiced dark berry preserve, cherry pie and mocha flavors stain the palate, and an undercurrent of juicy acidity conveys an impressively energetic quality. Plush, densely packed and extremely young, finishing with powerful, spicy thrust, youthfully chewy tannins and striking persistence. (JR)” (12/2020)

“Lovely, deep fruit with blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut. Plenty of firmness and length. Full-bodied and flavorful. Creamy-textured finish.” (04/2021)

“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is another magical wine from this estate. Deep purple-hued, with full-bodied aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, toasted spices, tobacco, mint, and cedar pencil, it's just a quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon offering remarkable purity, building, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Showing the pure, elegant, structured style of this vintage beautifully, it has the structure to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and will have 20+ years of prime drinking. What can be thought of as the flagship label from the Daou brothers, Patrimony includes four releases – varietal releases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, and their Caves des Lions, which is a blend from a vineyard around the home of one of the brothers. These are the real deal and consistently rank with the finest Bordeaux varieties coming out of California today. (JD) 98+” (09/2021)

“The 2018 Patrimony is an extraordinarily long, layered and pure Cabernet Sauvignon. Made entirely from free-run juice and aged 30 months in new French oak barrels, it offers stunning aromatics: blueberry and blackberry preserves are accented by garrigue, wildflowers and meaty tones, with pure wafts of mint chocolate. The palate has a bursting sensation from its fresh acidity and chocolaty tannins, driving you to take another sip. It's everything it promised from barrel, and it can be expected to gain complexity in bottle over the next 20+ years. (EB) 98+” (03/2022)

“Saturated violet. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes black and blue fruit preserves, pipe tobacco and pungent flowers, along with oak spice and vanilla flourishes. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated, smoke-tinged cassis, cherry preserve, licorice rose pastille and mocha flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes sweet and wonderfully long, showing fine clarity, steadily building tannins and lingering spiciness. (JR)” (07/2022)

“Lastly, the 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon follows suit, revealing a dense purple hue as well as awesome notes of black raspberries, cassis, scorched earth, graphite, new leather, vanilla, and exotic spices. It's another stunning, magical wine that offers full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and just a great, great finish.” (09/2021)

“A benchmark California Cabernet Sauvignon which showcases the strength and tenacity of this revered grape. On the nose, a juxtaposition of expressive, bright fruit plus a grounded earthiness. The delicacy yet force of this wine creates a most pleasant tension that you seek to reconcile with each sip. Flavours of blackberry, bramble and dark chocolate sit side by side with floral and sweet cedar notes. Tannins display laser-sharp integration. A wine with thoughtful, intentional power. (BC)” (02/2023)

“The 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle, brown sugar and coffee to begin, opening with time to very pure cassis, boysenberry, tobacco, garrigue and aniseed. The palate is supple and fresh with surprisingly restrained, mineral-laced fruits and a fan of spicy accents across the long finish. This ultra sleek, elegant Cabernet evolves continually in the glass and has the harmonious structure it needs to go the distance in the cellar. (EB)” (12/2022)

“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony lifts from the glass with a classic bouquet of black currant, lifting hints of rosemary, graphite and dusty sage. It's silky, nearly creamy in feel, with depths of ripe dark red fruit and sweet spice that swirl throughout. A web of fine-grained tannins engulfs the palate. While powerful and structured, the impact is well-measured, leaving the senses clenched in youthful poise as pretty inner florals slowly fade. What a beauty, and with such an amazingly bright future. (EG)” (03/2023)

“Opaque in color, the wine opens with intense yet elegant aromas of cassis, toasted espresso and roasted walnut paste. Polished tannins frame the rich sip, loaded with scorched earth, dark cassis and purple-flower flavors, proving very dry yet luxurious, with a lingering finish. (MK)” (12/2022)

“Deep, rich and plush on the nose showing cassis, blackberries with hints of dark olives, fennel, dark chocolate, cigar box and elderberry characters. Full-bodied and fleshy on the palate with an abundance of tannins, which are extremely fine-grained. Restrainedly opulent, deep, structured and long. Still a hint of white sesame character from the barrels, but will integrate in a year or two.” (09/2022)

“The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same cloth as the 2019, yet is perhaps richer and more expansive, with slightly less elegance. Currants, chocolate, toasted spices, and tobacco all define this beauty, and it has full-bodied richness, flawlessly integrated oak, good acidity, and a great finish. Anyone doubting the quality that can be achieved in Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles owes it to themselves to try one of these wines. (JD)” (09/2021)

“A well-composed cabernet sauvignon with aromas of berries, plums, cassis, pencil lead and stones. Full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Generous array of ripe berries, spices and some chocolate intermingle on the palate. Slightly chewy towards the finish.” (09/2023)

“Minty herbs come together with hints of mocha, then dried violets, stone dust and finally wild blueberries as the kaleidoscopic 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony reaches up from the glass. Cool and collected, this is a lesson in patience. The 2020 displays fantastic depth and elegance with textures of weighted velvet, yet it quickly firms up through an early onset of fine tannins. A flourish of sweet spice resonates, yet the experience remains clenched with youthful poise. This finishes long, airy and fresh yet still embryonic. Cellaring will be required, but I expect many great things to come. (EG) 95+” (06/2024)

“The 2020 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It takes time in the glass to give way from tar and graphite to reveal notes of licorice, violet, juniper and spearmint. The full-bodied palate is opulent with its concentrated core of dark fruit. It has powdery tannins and just enough acidity. It's somewhat coiled and less expressive due to the challenges of the vintage, and I would be inclined to drink it on the earlier side. (EB)” (12/2023)

“Dark-fruited and toasted aromas of wild blackberries, tobacco, seaweed and orange zest. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity. It shows notes of bramble berries, leather, graphite and roast meat. Wonderfully balanced and fresh.” (08/2024)

“The 2021 is a barrel sample of Cabernet Sauvignon maturing for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It unfolds slowly on the nose to reveal redcurrants, cherry preserves, fresh tobacco leaves, aniseed, sagebrush and lavender. The full-bodied palate has a core of perfumed berry fruit structured by generous, powdery tannins and energetic acidity, and it finishes with alluring floral nuances. (EB)” (12/2023)

“A bouquet of rum-soaked cherries and roses is complicated by hints of tobacco, sweet spice and vanilla bean as the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Patrimony comes to life in the glass. It’s elegant and silky, with an almost molten chocolate mouthfeel. Oak-inflected crushed wild berries and cherries ride a core of vibrant acidity. A web of sweet tannins remains through the lightly structured yet long finale. A pleasantly bitter tinge of blackberries and mocha resonates. While wonderfully balanced and enjoyable, the 2021 simply lacks the impactful wow factor of past vintages. That said, no fan of DAOU will want to miss it.” (07/2024)