From the crown jewel of DAOU Vineyards, the 2018 Soul Of A Lion, which won’t be released in the United States for at least another week; to the 2017 DAOU Cabernet Sauvignon dessert style wine made in the Port method from Daniel Daou’s personal home cellar; as well as the 2017 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon that’s just being released on the market with only limited cases and is nothing short of a blockbuster – made for Uncorked with DAOU Vineyards, a phenomenal first winemaker’s series at Café Boulud at Rosewood at Baha Mar.
It was an intimate guest complement that sat down to indulge in the curated five-course tasting with culinary pairings in Café Boulud’s wine cellar. The event set a benchmark for great wine and phenomenal food pairings.
Executive Chef David LaPage started the evening with canapes – avocado vichyssoise, gougeres and beef tartare with NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier, a full, complex wine that was both rich and powerful, yet complex.
And then the evening progressed to all things DAOU Vineyards which has been to the world by two brothers – George and Daniel Daou – who have promised to be the two best shepherds in both wine and fellowship.
LaPage paired red snapper with watermelon shiso and Fresno pepper with a 2019 DAOU Sauvignon Blanc which proved to be a powerhouse of a wine, even though it’s only the estate’s second vintage of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a beautiful expression of Sauvignon Blanc. You get a nice pop of pink grapefruit, guava, lime, passionfruit, maybe a little peach. On the palate, it’s dry but not too dry, you get a little acidity. It was simultaneously smooth and lively with an engaging, lingering finish. It paired well with the snapper dish.
Perhaps one of the most perfect pairings of the evening was the king crab with mache, peach, pistachio and saffron with a gorgeous, luscious 2019 DAOU Reserve Chardonnay. The nose bears tropical notes with a full profile of ripe ruby red grapefruit, white peach and a dash of apricot. On the palate, there is a distinct richness.
For the pièce de résistance, LaPage paired a duck cappelletti with bone marrow, black trumpet mushrooms and freshly shaved Australian winter truffle with DAOU’s 2018 Estate Soul Of A Lion, the crown jewel of DAOU – an awe-inspiring, age worthy Cabernet Sauvignon, released early for the wine dinner.
It’s a wine that is rich, elegant, and balanced. Silky, integrated tannins unwind into an impossibly long finish. The vintage is 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Cabernet Franc and 10 percent Petit Verdot.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
