Just a penny under our limit thanks to the low Costco price, the DAOU Pessimist Red Blend.
62% Petite Sirah, 20% Zinfandel, 16% Syrah and 2% Lagrein from Paso Robles, California. It is aged 11 months in 50% new French oak.
The DAOU Pessimist Red Blend has an SRP of $30 but we grabbed it at Costco for just $19.99.
A pessimist is never disappointed.
Cellared and Bottled by DAOU Vineyards
15.2% Alcohol
A fitting name on this one since we are always a bit skeptical of big-name (and expensive) wines like this, especially when a quick look at the back of the bottle shows this one seems to have been made for DAOU by someone else (given the "Cellared and Bottled by" reference). See our article on "How to Choose a Good Bottle of Wine" for more info on this.
The 2018 DAOU Pessimist Red Blend begins with an attractive aroma of ripe blueberry, black raspberry, cherry and violets along with a little oaky spice and just a touch of a meaty note.
Taking a sip reveals this to be a pretty tasty medium to full-bodied red blend. It features nicely integrated spice plus notes of dark chocolate, black tea, cola and similar fruit flavors to the nose.
It ends dry, long, and a bit grippy and tannic with some lingering oaky spice. We're big fans of Petite Sirah based blends and this is a lovely one. And it gets even better as it has some air.
You may also want to check out more of our favorite red blends!
