Community Tasting Notes 80

• DB Lawton Likes this wine: 88 points

  January 6, 2024 - Served w short Rib Ramen. Nice dark fruits mellowed tannins. Good finish but a bit syrupy for me

  Comment

• mjwstickings wrote: 85 points

  April 15, 2022 - Is this a table wine or a port wine? That is, is it a "normal" dinner / food wine or a dessert / after-dinner wine? Well, it's both, sort of, and yet neither. Whatever the case, it's a ridiculous, over-the-top wine that is way too much to be a suitable table wine yet not nearly rich and deep enough to be a serious port. A blend of mostly Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Zinfandel, it brings an ABV of 15.5%, part of the ridiculousness, dominant notes of baking spice (clove, cinnamon), sweet dried fruit (raisin, date, prune), and oak-derived vanilla caramel, and a soft, jammy texture with almost no tannic structure (except for a somewhat dusty finish) and acidity. There are also background dark berry fruit notes, but the fruit just seems overly ripe, sweet, and over-cooked. Wines like this are often described as "sexy," even "hedonistic," but I find such descriptors as ridiculous (and stupid) as the wines, as if it's somehow sexy to be a puddle of goo. Plus, there's absolutely no sense of place here -- no terroir. It could be from anywhere, even if the "style" is certainly Californian, in a bad way. Okay, if I'm being generous, this is fine for what it is, if you like this sort of thing. I'd much rather have a wine that has a sense of balance and expresses terroir, especially for the price (a stupid and ridiculous $28 in Ontario), or a real dessert wine. This, again, is neither. 85-86.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• Stephen.Somm wrote: 87 points

  April 3, 2022 - Typical CA high alcohol wine with jammy dark fruit notes. Plenty of licorice, black olive, and vanilla on display as well. Maybe this is your style, but its not mine. Alcohol high, tannins medium, acid medium.

  Comment

• MDRwinos wrote: 88 points

  February 26, 2022 - PnP. definitely fruit-forward. OK body. Good QPR. Worthwhile to have for friends who are somewhat less discerning.

  Comment

• tlavinas Likes this wine: 94 points

  August 29, 2021 - Lots of fruit in jam. A delicious wine to drink, at a great cost.

  Comment

Pro Reviews 2

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2017
• Type Red
• Producer Daou Vineyards
• Varietal Red Blend
• Designation The Pessimist
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Central Coast
• Appellation Paso Robles
• UPC Codes 890409002336, 890409002787, 890409002794

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 24 (1%)
• In Cellars 875 (29%)
• Consumed 2,074 (70%)

Food Pairing

Who Likes This Wine

More About This Wine