The Story
The Daou Pessimist is a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Lagrein. Lagrein is a Red grape from Alto Adige in Italy, the same place where the best Pinot Grigio is grown.
The grape percentages in the wine change with the conditions of the vintage.
Daou Vineyards is currently owned by Treasury Wine Estate of Australia, but the Daou are actively involved in the management and winemaking.
Daou was founded when the 2 Daou brothers bought a mountain in Paso Robles and planted vineyards.
This wine was aged in French oak barrels for 10 months with 50% new barrels.
The Pessimist (tagline…can never be disappointed) is sourced from multiple vineyards from several Paso Robles sub-AVAs, not from Esate vineyards.
This is a wine that has consistently received scores of 90+ from wine magazines.
While the Daou name is absent from this bottle, the Daou brothers are responsible for its bottling and cellaring and for making this Red Blend.
The alcohol content is 14.9%. This is a wine that sells for between $18 and $15, which I found for $12. Look out for bargains in this economy.
The Daou The Pessimist Red 2023 Tasting Notes
The color is a mix of black and violet. The nose is extracted black berry, herbs, raspberry, vanilla, and cranberry, with a light floral edge. The Daou The Pessimist Red 2023 has rich flavors, with nice complexity and length. The flavors stay with you.
This Red Blend tastes like blackberry, licorice, ripe plum, soft spice, pomegranate, vanilla, and jammy raspberry.
The tannins are sweet and don’t bite. The acidity allows the flavors to roll on and on.
The Summary
- The Daou The Pessimist Red 2023 is an excellent, tasty wine.
- It tastes upscale but without the too-upscale price tag. I found it for a $12 which is maybe one of the bargains of the year.
- It drinks well with a rich, varied flavor. Share with a good friend.
