Probably one of the most enchanting wine release parties in California is the annual “Soul of a Lion” event held at DAUO Vineyards in Paso Robles each Spring. The wine is a delicious Bordeaux blend, made primarily of cabernet sauvignon, and was named in honor of George and Daniel Dauo’s father, Joseph Daou.
The story behind the name is that Joseph always exhibited “the soul of a lion,” in that whatever hardships knocked him down growing up in war-torn Lebanon, he always jumped back up and faced life with the courage and strength of the “king of the jungle.” Daniel and George say that Joseph instilled these same traits in them in establishing Paso Robles’s first luxury winery, when no one thought they could succeed.
“Everyone told me I was crazy when I said I wanted to create a world-class luxury wine in Paso Robles,” Daniel told me in an interview. “They said it was too hot; they told me no one would take me seriously, and that it wouldn’t sell.” But the Daou brothers proved the naysayers wrong, and now once a year, they hold a ‘Soul of a Lion’ vintage launch party on their parent’s wedding anniversary in February.
Wine Paired with Lebanese Food and Belly Dancers
I was honored to be invited to attend this year’s celebration, and was enchanted with the exquisite and flavorful Lebanese food that was served with the wine. Over 100 Daou family and wine club members attended and danced the night away at the Daou mountain top winery. The event included belly dancers, a hookah corner, and lively Lebanese music from a live band.
In addition to the Soul of a Lion wine, other Dauo wines were poured as well (see other varietals below). The food included spicy Lebanese lamb, lamb meatballs, pita salad, hummus and yoghurt dips, platters of shrimp, and many other dishes. For dessert, there were colorful platters of baklava, rose-water cookies, mafroukeh cake, fruit and sweet nut candies.
Tasting Notes for the 2020 Soul of a Lion
My tasting notes on the 2020 Soul of a Lion ($150) include nose of dark berries, forest floor, and sandalwood, which carries through on the palate with notes of cocoa, raspberry, sage, black olive, and graphite. The texture of the tannins on the palate is exquisite with both velvety and muscular components. The wine is very well balanced with a long luxurious finish. Aged 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels, it is 81% cabernet sauvignon, 13% cabernet franc, and 6% petit verdot.
The wine has been well-received by critics: with 95 Points from Robert Parker, 97 Points from Wine Enthusiast, and 94-96 Points from Jeb Dunnuck.
What is fascinating about the Soul of a Lion wine is that it was the first Paso Robles wine to break the $100 barrier. This happened when Robert Parker gave the 2016 vintage 98 points. It shocked the wine world, and really made people sit up and take notice of the Paso Roble area as a true fine wine region.
Since that time, the Daou brothers have tried to help other Paso Robles wineries raise the quality level of their cabernet sauvignon wines, and it seems to be working. They established the Paso Robles Cab Collective, with a purpose of sharing best practices in viticulture and production methods with other local wineries.
“We believe that all ships can rise on the tide of improved quality,” states Daniel, “and because we want Paso to succeed, we have helped to establish the collective.”
Daou Specializes in Cab and Bordeaux Blends with 4 Wine Levels
In addition to producing the famous “Soul of a Lion” wine, the Daou brothers also craft other varietals at different price points. However, their primarily focus is Bordeaux varietals and blends. This includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cab franc, petit verdot and malbec for reds, and sauvignon blanc and Semillon for whites.
On my most recent visit to the winery, Maeve Pesquera, SVP of Strategy & Business Development at DAOU, met with our group to explain the DAOU strategy and brand. It was then that I learned that there are four different levels of wine in the DAOU portfolio.
“Daniel and Georges are not interested in being exclusive,” said Maeve. “They want to be inclusive, and so we created multiple levels of wine at different price points. However, you will see that we powerfully over deliver at every price point.”
The 4 levels of DAOU wine include:
- Discovery Collection ($20 to $30) – This includes a rose, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, cabernet and pinot noir. All of these wines are from the Paso Robles AVA, with the exception of the pinot noir, which is from Santa Barbara AVA. DAOU has long-term contracts with family growers who plant according to exact specifications, and all of the wines are made at the DAOU winery.
- Reserve Collection ($52 and above) – These wines are all made from DAOU Mountain and top vineyards in Paso Robles’ premium sub-AVAs. Select wines from the collection are available at fine wine shops nationwide, including DAOU Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $59), and DAOU Reserve Chardonnay (SRP $52).
- Estate Collection ($85 and above) – These wines are only made from the finest vineyard blocks on DAOU Mountain. They reflect the soil and climate, and are limited in production. ‘Soul of a Lion,’ is part of this special estate collection.
- Journey Collection ($30 and above) “This collection is based on innovation,” explained Maeve. “Winemaker Daniel Daou’s restless innovative spirit inspires him to seek out intriguing and esoteric varietals from top vineyards in Paso Robles’ premium sub-AVAs.” These wines also have different labels, and unique names such as Pessimist (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre blend), Bodyguard by DAOU, named in honor of their mother, and Sequentis, an amazing Merlot with velvety tannins.
I was able to taste wines many of these wines on my recent visit to DAOU, and I do agree with Maeve that they all over-deliver at their price points. The entry-level rose and sauvignon blanc are especially appealing with bright fruit flavors and refreshing acidity. The Merlot (Sequentis) in the Journey Collection is one of the best merlots I’ve had in years, and the Reserve and Estate collections are outstanding. The brothers have achieved their goal to produce world-class Bordeaux blend wines in California. (Photos of DAOU mountain top vineyards and wine tasting room below).
