2008 Daou Old Vine Zinfandel

Daou is owned and operated by the brothers Georges and Daniel Daou. The men are engineers who had founded technology companies before starting a winery focused on producing Bordeaux-style wines. Natives of Lebanon, the Daou family fled the war-torn country when the brothers were young, settling for a while in the south of France, where the brothers first became interested in winemaking. Their Paso Robles estate produces red and white wines. The wines earn ratings in the mid- to high 90s. Wine Advocate has written that “along with l'Aventure and Booker, (the Daou brothers) make the finest Bordeaux blends from Paso Robles...”

Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape, but 85% of the wine produced is made into a rosy “White Zinfandel.” Red Zin is far more complex and bold, while still being light-bodied. It grows in popularity as winemakers continue to experiment with new styles and blends.