2017 Daou Soul Of A Lion

About Daou Soul Of A Lion 2017:

Daou Soul of a Lion is DAOU’s crown jewel, named after the father of Georges and Daniel Daou. The 2017 vintage displays richness, elegance and balance the hallmarks of a superb growing season that allowed for extended ripening.

Tasting Notes:

A deep, complex bouquet reveals notes of cassis, black currant, licorice, incense, ripe plum and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied, layered and complex, while smooth, silky tannins lead to a persistent finish. It is impossible to drink this wine without respecting the great structure that will allow it to evolve nicely for years to come.

Barrel Selection:

22 months in new French oak

Harvest Date: 2017

Winemaking Notes:

The 2017 growing season was preceded by one of the wettest winters in recent memory, with nearly 35 inches of rain recorded on DAOU Mountain. The weather remained steady from spring through mid-summer. However, a heat wave descended upon California during the third week of August. Many vintners chose to harvest immediately, but Daou made the brave decision to allow the fruit to hang. As they suspected, a cooling trend snapped the heat wave ensuring that the fruit achieved optimal ripeness. The result was the latest harvest ever on the mountain, reaching all the way into the third week of October. The long hang time yielded the deepest color and concentration seen from the estate and Daou Soul Of A Lion was born.

The Story Behind The Winery:

As young men, brothers Georges and Daniel Daou shared the same dream: to live a life in wine. Their dream prevailed years later when they discovered what would become known as DAOU Mountain, an untapped world-class terroir in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles.

Daniel and Georges Daou are committed to producing world class wines that will be recognized internationally. Although both engineers by trade, the brothers are no strangers to agriculture.

The brothers’ passion for quality wine was nurtured in France, where they were raised. Their father, like many living in France, enjoyed wine as part of every meal. Daniel and Georges came to appreciate wine as young adults and their passion for it has never left them.

When it came time for college, the two brothers set sail for San Diego, California, to attend UCSD, where they graduated with degrees in electrical and computer engineering. After college, the enterprising brothers formed Daou Systems, where they developed intranet technologies for hospitals.

In less than ten years, the company became one of the top five IPO’s in the country. Through the years of building successful technology start-ups, Daniel never lost sight of his appreciation for wine and his desire to produce it.

Being an avid wine collector and aficionado was not enough to quench his thirst for the wine industry, so he began to intensively study winemaking and viticulture, making his own wine, working with great winemakers and learning everything he could about the fine points of producing premium wines.

He soon set out on a new professional venture that was closer to his heart than the technology industry; crafting world class wines that married the elegance of the French wines he grew up with and the concentrated flavors of California wines. The next step was to find a vineyard estate with the perfect terroir.

In 2007, Daniel and Georges’ search for the perfect terroir led them to the west mountain Adelaida area of Paso Robles, California, where they found a parcel that was part of the historical Hoffman Mountain Ranch vineyard with desirable terroir that fit their criteria for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varietals that would rival the world’s best wine appellations. The property’s combination of high elevation, cool marine influence, southeast and southwest sun exposure and highly sought after calcareous-lime soils was exactly what they were looking for. An added bonus was that the 100 acre property had over 70 farmable acres making it one of the larger vineyard sites in the Adelaida region.

Nicknamed Daou mountain, the property also features incredible building sites with enormous views for the Spanish style winery and tasting room, now scheduled to break ground in 2010. On the property, the brothers will feature a rare 1740 bell imported from Spain, which is featured on their label. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and, a signature Cabernet/Syrah blend currently comprise the current offering of premium wines under the La Capilla collection. A new series nicknamed Paripaso was also introduced in 2009 with an entry level Cabernet Sauvignon. The brothers planed on crafting estate Daou Vineyards wines that will be primarily focused on the estate’s Bordeaux varietals due to be released to the market by 2012.

Family owned and operated, DAOU Family Estates is committed to producing collectible, world-class wines to rival the most respected appellations in the world. DAOU Mountain’s combination of remarkable geology, microclimate, a 2,200-foot elevation, and steep slopes gives it a terroir described as “a jewel of ecological elements.” As stewards of this beautiful terroir, DAOU’s goal is to make unique fine wines that honestly and accurately reflect the potential of the Estate and to craft Bordeaux style wines that combine Old World tradition with New World techniques.