Last week a few of the Agents ventured outside the safety and comfort of HQ and down to Paso Robles in search of something that doesn’t exist in nearby Napa or Sonoma. Patrimony graciously invited the Wine Spies down to the property. We were blown away by the quality, the hospitality, and their entire approach to winemaking with a focus on single-vineyard expressions of the highest order. And we brought back an absolute masterpiece. We actually made a short documentary about it, you can view here in our Facebook hangout or here on our Insta page

The result of their voyage? Read on.

…insert meat sizzling on the grill sound…

Don’t know about you, but as I get younger (ahem), my eyes grow bigger than my stomach. Oftentimes, I order that massive gourmet burger with everything on it, only to end up taking half to go, then staring at it the next day, out of the fridge and declaring it too sad to relive the joy of that very first bite with the huge appetite rush the day before.

Well, similarly, a 750 of Patrimony is sometimes too much of a good thing, especially when your partner says, after you pull the cork, “I’ll have just a glass, thank you.” Then there are two options: you either go through the rest yourself, waking up (barely) the following morning, wondering why you did that, or you stick the cork back in, hoping that you’ll finish it over the following days. But confess, with me, it’s hardly the same when you go back to it. Not better or worse necessarily, just different, yet rarely as joyful.

Enter HALF BOTTLES stage left. If the full Patrimony is that half-pounder, these are your slider patties!

This library vintage, bordering perfection, has hiked up over $300 a bottle a while back. Thus, splits that drink like silk, for LESS THAN A THIRD of that, are worth dropping all you have going on in your busy life, and stuffing your Locker up. Heck, if you can’t go through a couple of cases of it by Christmas, these make dreamy stocking stuffers, too!

Vinous sums it up, Patrimony “can stand up to many of the best Napa wines and, although far from inexpensive, they sell for quite a bit less than those of similar or lesser quality from up north.”

The sheer OMG factor here cannot be overstated… It’s been called “a sensational Cabernet Sauvignon that can stand up to the best out there.” One that is “unbelievably ripe, pixelated frame and fantastic juiciness… this is stunning” and “as I’ve said in the past, these wines compete with the best of Napa Valley and are some of the leading Bordeaux blends from Paso Robles” because “there’s no one else making Cabernet like this in Paso Robles!”

Patrimony will deconstruct your ideas about the limits of winemaking only to reassemble them into an altogether new reference point of understanding. They spare NO expense. The barrel program uses the absolute best, Taransaud T5s, for example, which is a very pricey option that few producers have the luxury to use.

Indulge your senses… in HALF BOTTLE moderation at a crazy rock bottom price for Patrimony. This is a case-me-up kinda deal that does not come by often.

97-99 Points - Jeb Dunnuck “What can be thought of as the flagship label from the Daou brothers, Patrimony includes four releases – varietal releases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, and their Caves des Lions, which is a blend from a vineyard around the home of one of the brothers. These are the real deal and consistently rank with the finest Bordeaux varieties coming out of California today. The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is cut from the same cloth as the 2019, yet is perhaps richer and more expansive, with slightly less elegance. Currants, chocolate, toasted spices, and tobacco all define this beauty, and it has full-bodied richness, flawlessly integrated oak, good acidity, and a great finish. Anyone doubting the quality that can be achieved in Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles owes it to themselves to try one of these wines.”