Daou 2018 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

(60% new French oak) Deep bright-rimmed ruby. Intense cherry and red berry scents, along with hints of cracked pepper, pipe tobacco and vanilla. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering concentrated red currant, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that deepen slowly and turn sweeter on the back half. Fine-grained tannins build on a long, spice-laced finish that leaves behind a suggestion of cherry compote. In the context of top-notch California Cabernets, this wine delivers remarkable value.

Score: 91 points -- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2018