With an inky ruby color, the 2020 Caves des Lions offers elegant aromas of chocolate-covered espresso beans with nuanced layers of blueberries, savory notes of charcuterie, pipe tobacco, and woodsmoke. This festival of flavors continues on the palate with notes of fresh fruit, cayenne pepper, plum jam, and pomegranate. The bold tannins seamlessly balance the fresh and rounded acidity leading to an unwavering finish. This full-bodied and flawlessly intricate wine will surprise you now with its elegance, and later with its longevity.

The PATRIMONY aging program is built around the most coveted barrels that are accessible only through personal relationships with top cooperages. Collectively, these barrels provide for seamless oak integration and staggering complexity over a maturation period of 30 months, all without encroaching upon the pure qualities of our DAOU Mountain fruit: • PATRIMONY 5-year custom bois rose barrel 27mm • Custom made Jupille barrels • Taransaud Ref 102 • Sylvain Signature

The 2020 growing season began on a dry note, followed by much-needed rains in April that replenished the soils and set the stage for healthy canopy growth. Conditions through mid-summer remained mild and steady, with the exception of a rare August thunderstorm prior to harvest.

The phenolics produced on this mountain are known to be among the highest in the world, fostering an immensity of color, depth, and structure. To extract the purest and most elevated expression of this terroir, purposeful omission is required. Only select vineyard rows are chosen for PATRIMONY cultivation. By the time the fruit is aggressively thinned, optically sorted, and used only for its free-run juice, a minimal percentage of the total potential yield meets the exacting standard we set for PATRIMONY. Fermentation proceeds exclusively with wild yeasts cultured from DAOU Mountain, imbuing the wine with native texture and character.