Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2016

Blackberry, cassis, plum and currant aromas greet the nose, surrounded by black olives, anise, leather and cigar box. Notes of graphite and crushed stone mingle with just a hint of cool mint. Robust and full bodied, an undercurrent of restrained power is palpable just below the surface at the core of this wine.

Firm, fine grained tannins provide ample backbone for the layers of boysenberry, black cherry, licorice and dried herb flavors. Meaty and fleshy while retaining an overall elegance, it finishes with authority and finesse.

This wine is a blend of around 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc making up the other 20%. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve offers ripe cassis, blackberry preserves, dried herbs, incense and dusty earth notions with a hint of smoked meat. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a firm, fine-grained backbone with layered, relatively elegant fruit expression and a long and earthy finish.