2012 Daou Soul of a Lion
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Soul Of A Lion is a rich, powerful wine that offers up aromas of dark chocolate, sweet black fruits, burning embers and walnuts. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and layered, with an authoritative chassis of fine-grained tannins and a long, savory finish. Like the 2010 rendition, it's more integrated and serious than the corresponding Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and like all of these wines, it has a long future ahead of it.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Glass-staining ruby. Pungent, smoke-tinged scents of blackcurrant, licorice, tobacco and dark chocolate. Supple and pliant, offering brooding dark berry and cherry compote flavors and a touch of cracked pepper. Opens up slowly on the finish, which features chewy tannins and a late jolt of bitter cherry. Give this one some air.
Daou's top of the line Soul of a Lion is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. A dark, voluptuous wine, the Soul of a Lion captures the essence of the Daou house style. There is good purity to the fruit, but today it is the new French oak that dominates above all else, likely a reflection of the wine's essentially mid-weight structure. Still, this is a hugely intriguing wine. The blend is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.