Tuesday, August 7, 2012

NAPA vs PASO: 2012 CABERNET CHALLENGE


Preparing for a great evening of food and wine at Indigo Moon in Cambria 
the night before the NAPA-PASO Cabernet Challenge

                                  12 out of the 14 of us who will share a fabulous weekend.  


Serious wines
Prepping our taste buds for the next day

--------------------------
AND NOW.......THE MAIN EVENT!

THE 2012 NAPA-PASO CABERNET COMPETITION

We all know and love the historic “Judgment of Paris” story that shocked the wine world in 1976.  This legendary event put California on the map and recognized Napa Valley as a world class wine area when 2 California wines defeated France in a blind taste competition in Paris.

What you don’t know, is the recent story of the “Napa-Paso Competition”----where 7 highly regarded Napa Cabernets were blind tasted against 3 Paso Robles Cabernets.

When: August 4th, 2012. 

Where:  Daou Vineyards, Paso Robles, California.

Who:  Seven couples, ranging in age from their 20’s to 60’s.  Not elite wine connoisseurs, not wine experts or critics, or wine professionals, just 14 people with a common love of good wine.  14 people constantly seeking out new, innovative wines and winemakers….the great and the soon to be great.

We are the people with a passion for boutique, exciting wines.  We are the consumers!  We are the people who talk about the wine, who vote with their taste, and don’t chase after the current “best” or “highest point” or current “in” wine, but look for the best of the hidden gems.  We are 14 people with somewhat discerning tastes, who know what they like…and know what they love. 

Invited to participate in a blind tasting of the “Napa vs. Paso Cabernet Sauvignon Challenge,” 
we enthusiastically accepted.

Daniel Daou of Daou Vineyards, taking a chance, put 3 of his Cabernets on the line against 7 of Napa’s esteemed Cabernet names.  Names that are synonymous with Napa.
The Set Up----Preparing to accept the challenge 

At 4:00pm on August 4th, 7 couples took their seats around the large tasting table at Daou Vineyards, atop Daou Mountain, in Paso Robles, California.  In front of each couple were 10 numbered glasses, each with a 100ML pour, along with pen and tasting note sheet.  Seven premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, and three Daou Vineyard Cabernets.

Silence around the table….2 hours of tasting, analyzing, smelling, sipping, eliminating, re-visiting and judging.  Trust your Taste.  Going back, comparing, whittling down.  Trusting your Taste and thinking about your first impressions.  The color, the nose, the mouth feel, the flavors, the finish…  Trust your Taste.
It's serious business now: Tasting, analyzing, making notes 

One by one, each person handing in their score and comment sheet.  Each wine rated from 1 to 10 
(10 being the best), along with tasting notes and comments.

Waiting for the tally and results, we were finally able to talk to each other about the wines.

Incredible, wonderful, so difficult to tell apart.  Such subtle nuances between them all.  But most of all, the honor all of us felt to be invited to partake in the experience, to be able to judge 7 Napa Valley gems, against 3 Daou Cabernets.  Napa, known for their Cabernets, Paso, known for their Rhones----and a winemaker dedicated to proving that Paso can and will produce a cabernet that will stand equal among highly regarded Napa Valley Cabernets.

The results are in.  We are told that the scores are close.  Less than 1.75 points separate the #1 rated wine from the #10 rated wine on the 10 point scale. 
The Brothers Daou:  Daniel (left), Georges (right) 
As They Announce The Final Results

Taking a chance, Daniel Daou has put his wines in the gun sights.  How will this new Paso Cabernet producer fare pitting his three cabernets against the Cabernets of Napa? 
 Nothing ventured, nothing gained……Only the final results remain:

#10:  Berringer Knights Valley Cabernet, 2010
#  9:  Passenger Cabernet, from Stag’s Leap district, 2009
         (a new project from Kimberly Jones and Chris Blanchard)
#  8:   Paul Hobbs Napa Valley Cabernet, 2009
#  7:   Daou Cabernet, 2011, soon to be released
#  6:   Honig Napa Valley Cabernet, 2009
#  5:   Relic Artifact, Napa Valley Cabernet 2009
#  4:   Daou Reserve Cabernet 2010, soon to be released
#  3:   Schraeder, RBS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyards Cabernet, 2009
#  2:   Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet, 2009

AND THE WINNER IN THE NAPA vs. PASO CAB COMPETITION
separated by ½ point from #3, and by .22 points from #2

# 1:   Daou's 2010 ESTATE CABERNET, SOUL OF A LION
          (release date, February 2013).
Daniel Proudly Announces:  And the Winner Is:  Daou's Soul of A Lion 
2010 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

What does this prove?  In the opinion of 14 of us, there is NO question that PASO ROBLES CAN AND DOES PRODUCE A CABERNET SAUVIGNON THAT STANDS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH NAPA CABERNET STANDOUTS .

WHEN will the industry recognize this?  WHEN will the world recognize this?
AND WHEN, will there be an official competition that proves what we and so many other Paso wine lovers already know:  Paso produces world class wines-and world class Cabernets.

MAKE ROOM NAPA…..THERE’S A NEW CAB IN TOWN AND IT COMES FROM PASO….THE NAME IS DAOU AND IT’S THE SOUL OF A LION!

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAOU VINEYARDS!


Just hanging out after the tasting