Christian Moeuix started looking for the perfect vineyard in Napa Valley after studying at UC Davis in the late 60’s, but did not it until 1982 when he discovered Napanook. These vineyards, which bring us both Dominus and Napanook wines, have quite a history. They were the first vineyards planted in the Napa Valley in 1836 by George Yount. The 108 acres under vine have three different types of soil. This varied terroir is elegantly expressed in all of this Estate’s wines. “Dominus is a large vineyard, and they have the ability to make a strict selection. The 2002 Dominus gets my nod as the greatest example of this cuvee since the 1991 and 1994. There are 4,500 cases of this 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot blend fashioned from minuscule yields ranging from 1.8 to 2.8 tons of fruit per acre. Christian Moueix told me that the phenolic material was higher analytically in 2002, as were the acids, which surprised everyone. The deep, saturated purple-colored 2002 boasts an extraordinary perfume of roasted coffee intermixed with black currants, cherries, cocoa, cedar, cigar smoke, and new saddle leather. A classic, full-bodied palate possesses great structure, tremendous depth, loads of tannin, and a multilayered, concentrated yet elegant finish. It is difficult to predict when this beauty will plateau in terms of maturity. My best guess is it needs 3-5 years of bottle age, and should last for 25 years. One of the interesting things at Dominus is that when I do my tastings they open and decant the same wines the day before, and the wines with extended aeration always reveal more complexity and sweeter tannin than the just opened bottles, a characteristic purchasers should take into consideration. Decanting several hours in advance is recommended. Kudos to the brilliant Christian Moueix for these achievements ... the most distinctive and individualist Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines of Napa Valley.” Wine Advocate rated 96. |
