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DARIOUSH
WINERY
by Sergio Sismondo
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On the Silverado Trail, just south
of the Oak Knoll Avenue crossroad, on the east side of the road,
is a wonderful winery named Darioush. It has been open since 1997
and has made plenty of news with its impressive wine releases. On
the estate is a winery house which is an extraordinary addition to
the landscape of the Silverado Trail. It is designed after the
style of the palace of King Darius at Persepolis, in ancient
Persia, in the late 6th Century B.C. The tasting room is among the
finest we have seen, with attention to all imaginable details. It
is a room both grandiose and extremely tasteful at once.
Outstanding and memorable are the architecture, furnishings, wines
and hospitality. |
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The winemaker is Steve Devitt, who
is very courteous and greatly knowledgeable. The tasting room and
sales staff is attentive to guests' needs and, of course, the
wines are excellent. The tasting room manager is Ryan Ruhl. There
is much enthusiasm in the air here, which is so appropriate to
accompany the superb quality of the products being offered. And
then, there is the excitement generated by the new and most
impressive building. |
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OUR CHOICES.
We tasted a range of wines, Chardonnay,
Cabernet-Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Viognier. All the wines were
excellent and we rated most of them in the 90's. |
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| Cabernet-Sauvignon, |
Signature, |
2001 |
93 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon, |
Signature, |
2002 |
95 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon, |
Signature, |
2003 |
95 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon, |
Signature, |
2004 |
95 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon, |
Estate, |
1999 |
89 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon "Cinq Cepages" |
Signature |
2002 |
94 |
| Cabernet-Sauvignon "Cinq Cepages" |
Signature |
2003 |
94 |
| Chardonnay, |
Signature, |
2003 |
95 |
| Chardonnay, |
Signature, |
2004 |
93 |
| Chardonnay, |
Signature, |
2005 |
92 |
| Chardonnay, |
Russian River, |
2005 |
92 |
| Chardonnay, |
Estate, |
2002 |
90 |
| Chardonnay, |
Estate, |
2003 |
93 |
| Merlot, |
Signature, |
2001 |
91 |
| Merlot, |
Signature, |
2002 |
92 |
| Merlot, |
Signature, |
2003 |
92 |
| Merlot, |
Signature, |
2004 |
93 |
| Pinot Noir, |
Signature, |
2005 |
92 |
| Red Table Wine, |
Estate, |
2000 |
89 |
| Red Table Wine "Meritage", |
Estate, |
2001 |
90 |
| Red Wine |
Napa Valley |
2003 |
91 |
| Shiraz, |
Signature, |
2001 |
92 |
| Shiraz, |
Signature, |
2002 |
92 |
| Shiraz, |
Signature, |
2003 |
93 |
| Shiraz, |
Signature, |
2004 |
93 |
| Viognier, |
Signature, |
2003 |
89 |
| Viognier, |
Signature, |
2004 |
90 |
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- Our choice for best white wine at
Darioush Winery is the Signature Chardonnay of 2003, which
is priced at $41 and we rated 95. It is a truly outstanding wine
which can either be enjoyed by itself, or as a wonderful
accompaniment to an appropriate meal.
- Our choice for best red wine at
Darioush Winery is the Cabernet-Sauvignon, of 2002, 2003 or 2004,
priced at $68, and which received our rating of 95. Year after year
it is a great wine.
- Our choice for "best value for
money" goes to the Estate Cabernet-Sauvignon 1999,
which is priced at $29, and we rated 89.
- For a white wine, we recommend the
Viognier, Signature, 2004, which is priced at $34 and which we
rated 90.
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RETROSPECTIVE.
- Our preference for a white wine
goes to the 2001 Signature Chardonnay, 100% Chardonnay
from Carneros. It is priced at $38 per bottle, and received our
rating of 90.
- Our choice of the best red wine
tasted was the 2000 Signature Cabernet-Sauvignon, which
is priced at $64 and we rated 95. This is a superb wine of great
complexity, with strong structure and long finish. It was
already a nationally recognized winner in 1999, with a rating of
94.
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