Wine Spectator's Tasting Highlights: 2005 Napa Cabernet
07/21/2008
Wine Spectator, Tasting Highlights, July 21, 2008
'A dozen excellent Cabernets, but at prices that may very well break the bank' - James Laube
2005 Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley - Rated 92 | $80.
'Intense, with firm tannins wrapped around a tight core of dried currant, anise, sage, cedar and mineral flavors. This has excellent structure, depth and focus, and it's so dense and closed now that cellaring is best advised. Best from 2010 through 2017. 9715 cases made. —J.L.' Read the complete article from Wine Spectator.
Click here to purchase the 2005 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon.
Decanter's New World Greats To Lay Down
06/23/2008
Decanter, August 2008
2006 Darioush Signature Viognier, Napa Valley, California, USA
'I discovered Darioush Khaledi's wines last year and have been really impressed. The acidity will keep this Viognier fresh for a good few years -- they are some of the brightest around. 2009-2012.' - James Hocking
2004 Shiraz makes Robb Report Magazine's Best of the Best 2008
06/01/2008
"The Darioush Winery, as viewed from Napa Valley's Silverado Trail, suggests what one discovers at once when one tastes the wines: They are like nothing else from the region. The recently completed winery complex resembles a temple of Persian travertine and tinted glass rising up from the valley floor. The building is a fascinating amalgam of ancient motifs and cutting-edge technology--an apt expression, in many respects, of the personality of its owner, Darioush Khaledi, who founded the winery in 1997. Having grown up in the Shiraz region of Iran, where Syrah originated, Khaledi has always harvored a particular passion for this grape, and he brings to his winemaking project a deep sense of tradition, as well as an entrepreneur's enthusiasm for innovation.
The Darioush Signature Shiraz Napa Valley 2004 (www.darioush.com, $64) combines the essence of Shiraz-- earthiness and substantial structure-- with the ripeness and concentration that characterizes the wines of Napa. Indeed, the perfume of this intense red wine, redolent of plum and wild berries, is almost enough to satisfy on its own; but to merely nose this wine would be to deny oneself the pleasure of its complex, lush flavors and satiny texture. --B.A."
Vintrust SOMM Selections Rates Cabernet Sauvignon & Russian River Chardonnay
06/01/2008
2005 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
-
Aroma - Tahitian vanilla, creme de cassis 15
-
Flavor - layers of plum, espresso, cream 15
-
Structure - complex, supple, ripe 14
-
Length - very long, forward finish 15
-
Balance - extremely well balanced 34
$79 | Drink: 2010-2025 | Score 93
"The cool consistent growing season in 2005 provided extended hang-time and even ripening, resulting in highly developed, concentrated flavors from the fruit on Darioush's three estate vineyards."
2005 Signature Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
-
Aroma - bright apple, mineral, lemon 15
-
Flavor - mineral, citrus, allspice 15
-
Structure - crisp, silky full body 14
-
Length - very long, lemon curd, oak 15
-
Balance - beautifully balanced, elegant 35
$48 | Drink: 2008-2016| Score 94
"Darioush's Chardonnay is aged in traditional French oak, retaining its chalky minerality and bright citrus flavors. If you can find this wine, grab it. It always sells out."
2006 Signature Chardonnay Receives 91 Points ~ Wine Spectator
05/07/2008
Wine Spectator Insider, Vol. 4, No. 18
2006 Darioush Signature Chardonnay, Napa Valley - Rated 91 | $41.
'A well-executed mix of tight, focused pear, melon, spice and apricot flavors framed by light toasty, cedary oak, ending with a long, persistent finish that gains subtle flavor nuances. Drink now through 2011. 1,880 cases made.—J.L.'
Click here to purchase the 2006 Signature Chardonnay.
