2020 Daou Vineyards Patrimony Caves des Lions, USA (1.5L MAGNUM)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:

With an inky ruby color, the 2020 Caves des Lions offers elegant aromas of chocolate-covered espresso beans with nuanced layers of blueberries, savory notes of charcuterie, pipe tobacco, and woodsmoke. This festival of flavors continues on the palate with notes of fresh fruit, cayenne pepper, plum jam, and pomegranate. The bold tannins seamlessly balance the fresh and rounded acidity leading to an unwavering finish. This full-bodied and flawlessly intricate wine will surprise you now with its elegance, and later with its longevity.

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc

TASTING NOTES: 

Inviting aromas of black and blue fruits with violets, cedar, crushed stones and graphite. A little minty, too. The impressive, compact tannin structure gives depth to the wine, so fine and polished with some chalky texture to it. Stony minerality. Power and delicacy, simultaneously. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 35% cabernet franc. Really long and precise.

- James Suckling, 97 pts. 

The 2020 Caves Des Lions comes from vines around the winemaker's house and is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc brought up in new oak. Its inky hue is followed by a great nose of chocolatey dark fruits, espresso, Asian spices, tobacco, and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, it has notable purity of fruit and a great finish, with plenty of tannins.
Range: 94-96

- Jeb Dunnuck, 96 pts. 

The 2020 Caves des Lions is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Cabernet Franc. It matured for 22 months in 100% new French oak and was bottled in December of 2022. It's somewhat rustic and muted on the nose, with a dense core of fruit and wafts of tar and woodsmoke. The full-bodied palate is rustically styled with loads of chewy tannins, rounded acidity and a woodsmoke-laced finish.

-  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 pts.