2019 Daou Vineyards Patrimony Cave des Lions
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Tasting notes
Wildly spicy and intense yet lifted, the 2019 Patrimony Caves Des Lions wafts up with an array of pepper-tinged wildflowers, spiced exotic tea, dusty dried herbs and red currant. A pretty inner sweetness up front accentuates its silken textures, further elevated by citrus and mineral nuances. Ripe red and black fruits resonate throughout. This finishes incredibly fresh yet structured, lingering impossibly long. Through it all, a tinge of residual acids maintains remarkable freshness.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2019 Caves des Lions is a blend of free-run Cabernet Sauvignon (52%) and Cabernet Franc (48%) matured for 22 months in 100% new French oak and bottled in December of 2021. Opaque ruby in color, it has layered aromas of blackcurrant, lilac, graphite, fried savory herbs and game meats. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet balanced, its restrained, mineral-laced fruit complemented by mouthwatering acidity, and it boasts a long, graceful finish. Harmonious and latent, it will demand plenty of patience as it unwinds in bottle—the Patrimony wines tend to age at a glacial pace.
Deep and fragrant nose with a lift of currant leaf freshness to the cassis, nori, Spanish chocolate, roasted jalapeño pepper, sumptuous blackberries and some cigar box. Full-bodied and compact on the palate with firm but ultra-fine tannins here that are powerful but not grippy. Long and juicy. 52% cabernet sauvignon and 48% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.
More cassis, crushed stone, graphite, and chocolate emerge from the 2019 Caves Des Lions, and it's beautifully textured, with full-bodied richness, building yet ripe, polished tannins, a gorgeous mid-palate, and one heck of a great finish. For all its richness and depth, it stays lively, fresh, and weightless, and it’s a beautiful wine. 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.