Decanted ~1 hour, one glass consumed over ~1 1/2 hours at room temp. This bottles seems to follow the progression indicated in Fingers' notes over time. Cherry fruit, concentrated and ripe but not overtly sweet, with background notes of coffee & chocolate. A little low on acid/tannin, and just a hint of warmth coming through. Limited in complexity and fairly hefty, but I had an idea of what to expect going in, and this ended up being pretty satisfying.
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BYO to restaurant so no formal notes. Compared to my two prior notes, this bottle has developed and improved a little but there is no getting around that Paso heat and ripeness. Smoother overall, but still somewhat generic.
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Notes after 1 hour in decanter. Under the same light, the color seems a bit brighter than 6 months ago but otherwise unchanged in appearance. The nose has leveled off in intensity and seems more cohesive but not as complex. The palate is rounder and better integrated with the Merlot still being in charge and the Cabernet not fighting it so much. The etoh also seems to have accepted it's role now and is less of a distraction. I feel better about the performance of this bottle than the one I tasted in January. 5+10+16+7 = 88
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Notes after 12 hours of slow-O. Very dark ruby/purple color, about 90% opaque with big heavy legs. Light sediment. High octane nose of cherry and strawberry jam, paint, licorice, and forest floor. Big body, soft but plentiful tannins and the right amount of acidity for near-term drinking. Bold and hot (15%) with extra umami and pork fat. Dominated by the red fruit flavors. No holds barred on this very typical example of Paso ripeness. Really reminds me of Tobin James style. No restraint or elegance, so if you're into big fruit bombs, have at it. 4+10+15+7 = 86
This is tasting terrific right now. Lots of luscious fruit with a backbone of tannins. This is a structured wine, fruit and acids well balanced...there just isn't anything to complain about. The dark fruits end with a slight chocolate flavor and just a bit of earth. Tasting this and a 2007 Celestus they are both amazing.
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nose: earthy taste: chocolaty, smooth, healthy spice without being overwhelming, soft hidden fruits, red plums and raspberries, slight hints of black pepper, baked chocolate, cinnamon
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Tasting room pour. This was very simple and overripe. Sweet dark fruit with coffee grounds and black pepper. Very loose and sloppy. Would like to try again to see if this was an anomoly. $42
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4/30/2016 - bretrooks wrote:
Decanted ~1 hour, one glass consumed over ~1 1/2 hours at room temp. This bottles seems to follow the progression indicated in Fingers' notes over time. Cherry fruit, concentrated and ripe but not overtly sweet, with background notes of coffee & chocolate. A little low on acid/tannin, and just a hint of warmth coming through. Limited in complexity and fairly hefty, but I had an idea of what to expect going in, and this ended up being pretty satisfying.
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9/25/2014 - fingers wrote:
BYO to restaurant so no formal notes. Compared to my two prior notes, this bottle has developed and improved a little but there is no getting around that Paso heat and ripeness. Smoother overall, but still somewhat generic.
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5/21/2014 - fingers wrote: 88 Points
Notes after 1 hour in decanter. Under the same light, the color seems a bit brighter than 6 months ago but otherwise unchanged in appearance. The nose has leveled off in intensity and seems more cohesive but not as complex. The palate is rounder and better integrated with the Merlot still being in charge and the Cabernet not fighting it so much. The etoh also seems to have accepted it's role now and is less of a distraction. I feel better about the performance of this bottle than the one I tasted in January. 5+10+16+7 = 88
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5/11/2014 - blabbott wrote: 90 Points
Lots of dark fruit in this and big tannins. Not a fruit forward sweet wine but day and very tasty.
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1/2/2014 - fingers wrote: 86 Points
Notes after 12 hours of slow-O. Very dark ruby/purple color, about 90% opaque with big heavy legs. Light sediment. High octane nose of cherry and strawberry jam, paint, licorice, and forest floor. Big body, soft but plentiful tannins and the right amount of acidity for near-term drinking. Bold and hot (15%) with extra umami and pork fat. Dominated by the red fruit flavors. No holds barred on this very typical example of Paso ripeness. Really reminds me of Tobin James style. No restraint or elegance, so if you're into big fruit bombs, have at it. 4+10+15+7 = 86
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11/29/2013 - blabbott wrote: 93 Points
This is tasting terrific right now. Lots of luscious fruit with a backbone of tannins. This is a structured wine, fruit and acids well balanced...there just isn't anything to complain about. The dark fruits end with a slight chocolate flavor and just a bit of earth. Tasting this and a 2007 Celestus they are both amazing.
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5/4/2012 - epicred wrote: 84 Points
Underwhelming. Full-bodied. Leathery. Tight. Not Daou's best work by any means.
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10/1/2011 - pizzasomm wrote:
nose: earthy
taste: chocolaty, smooth, healthy spice without being overwhelming, soft hidden fruits, red plums and raspberries, slight hints of black pepper, baked chocolate, cinnamon
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7/9/2011 - Redguy wrote:
Tasting room pour. This was very simple and overripe. Sweet dark fruit with coffee grounds and black pepper. Very loose and sloppy. Would like to try again to see if this was an anomoly. $42
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