Daou Vineyards Daou Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 750ml

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a barrel sample of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Petit Verdot maturing for 16 months in 50% new French oak and is due to be bottled in the spring of 2024. The nose offers wild berry fruit streaked with graphite and nuances of truffle, forest floor and oak spices. The full-bodied palate is highly concentrated and floral, with approachable, clay-textured tannins, satisfying bursts of acidity and a long, perfumed finish. 92-94 points. (Erin Brooks)

The 2023 Reserve Cábeme* Sauvignon offers sweet herbs, olive tones, pine shavings and dusty black currants as it smolders up from the glass. It possesses a racy character that contrasts with its weight, as silken textures flood the senses with cola-enhanced red and black fruits. Violet and lavender tones swirl over dark chocolate concentration framed by fine tannins, and the 2023 finishes long and nicely balanced.

Black plum and roasted walnut aromas meet with woodspice on the nose of this bottling. The palate is tense and firm yet still brighter with blackberry, pepper and nut flavors that cling to the persistent structure.

Intense aromas of black currant and elderberry extract meet with toasted walnut and hints of tar on the nose of this always reliable reserve bottling. The palate is lavish with creamy tannins that present flavors of stewed blackberry, nutmeg and light anise. Very satisfying, pair with grilled steak. (Matt Kettmann)

Darkly floral and rich in the glass, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve opens with a seductive blend of plum sauce and black currants accentuated by mint and spice. It is softly textured and round with velvety ripe red and black fruit waves. Licorice hints mix with a savory herbal thrust. A spike of blood orange and sour cherry define the finish. The 2022 tapers off long and staining with a gentle grip of fine tannins. There's an elegance and sleek personality here that makes the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve impossible to ignore.