It is my pleasure to share one of the wine world’s great tales of the American Dream. Northern Iran is one of the birthplaces of wine, as records from 5,000 B.C. indicate a nomad culture living there and celebrating wine. Darioush Khaledi was instilled at an early age with the winemaking craft of his father and began collecting fine wine at a young age. He migrated from Iran to the United States and owned what was once the largest family-owned grocery store business in California. His passion for wine met its apex in 1997 when he formed Darioush winery. Darioush Khaledi is an inspired American dream.
Using his business acumen, Darioush set out to craft the best overall lineup of wines in Napa. There is little doubt that Darioush is one of the most beautiful wineries in the entire west coast. Upon entering the winery you are greeted by Persian inspired pillars that make you feel like you’re entering a royal palace. Imported travertine lines the entire winery and the calming water feature inside the winery really is something special. You have to check out the Provence inspired garden setting that literally feels like a world away.
I loved the new wines across the board. Check out the 2023 Darioush Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is beautiful and fresh with a neat texture. I adored the 2022 Darioush Cabernet Franc (OB, 96) which is one of the great renditions of this wine that I have tasted. Learn more about this beautiful winery at darioush.com. Here are the outstanding new wines by Darioush.
2023 Darioush Chardonnay- The brilliant 2023 Darioush Chardonnay shows good freshness alongside poached pear and vanilla bean notes on the palate, with baking spice laced pastry crust and shades of mango. Complex and very delicious, enjoy now and over the next several years. Drink 2025-2032- 93
2022 Darioush Merlot- The 2022 Darioush Merlot has 16% Malbec blended in and was stored in 75% new French oak before bottling. Sourced from sites in the Oak Knoll, Mount Veeder, and Yountville districts, this delivers generous cocoa powder and dark currant flavors that meld well with shades of graphite and damp loamy soils. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2022 Darioush Cabernet Franc- A stunning and generous rendition of this wine, the 2022 Cabernet Franc is 100% varietal that was stood in 75% new French oak barrels before bottling. This is highly polished, concentrated stuff, with a fabulous acid backbone. Deep black and blue fruits march on with pencil lead, anise, and shades of creme de violette and tar on the palate. Complex and hedonistic, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2042- 96
2022 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning bottling that has a long way to go in its development. Once on the nose this takes on plush cassis and kirsch fruits that combine with Arabica bean, tar, loamy soils and suggestions of violets. The palate is seamless and complex, with great flavor density and underlying freshness. A glorious wine from this vintage, enjoy now and over the next twenty years to come. Drink 2025-2045- 96