Dominus Estate Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2017

New release                                              The new vintage of Dominus Estate 2016 Proprietary Red now available - limited. 98+ Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2017 Dominus is one of the truly epic, grand wines of the vintage. Rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous concentration and sheer power, the 2017 Dominus captures all the personality of this site along with the natural opulence of the year. Inky dark fruit, lavender, menthol, licorice, plum, gravel and a host of dark spice notes infuse the 2017 with seemingly endless layers of nuance. Over the last two years I have tasted several hundred Napa Valley Cabernets, both from barrel and bottle. There is no question that Dominus belongs among the elite in 2017; it is simply a breathtaking wine. Certainly readers looking for a Napa Valley Cabernet to cellar should put Dominus at the top of their lists." 97+ Points Robert Parker: "There was about 50% of a normal crop this year for the 2017 Dominus, due to strict selection. Grapes were harvested from September 21 to October 3 and the wine was bottled in June 2019. This year the blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, aged in 40% new French oak barrels. Very deep purple-black in color, it sashays nonchalantly out of the glass with graceful notions of potpourri, forest floor, crushed rocks, Ceylon tea and licorice with a core of black currant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and preserved plums plus a waft of garrigue. Full-bodied, the palate has a beautifully impactful, wonderfully quiet intensity of black and blue fruits with loads of floral and spicy sparks, framed by firm yet plush tannins, finishing with long-lasting earthy notes." 97 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The grand vin is the 2017 Dominus, which is based on 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, harvested between September 21 and October 3, and aged in 40% new French oak. Château Lafite-like notes of black currants, lead pencil shavings, cedary tobacco, and gravelly earth all emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, has a terrific sense of elegance, lots of tannins, and a great finish. This tight, powerful, concentrated Dominus will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 25 years or more. 2017 doesn’t get much better." Since its inaugural vintage in 1983, the wines of Dominus Estate have been crafted in a traditional and terroir-driven style by the luminous Christian Moueix of Chateau Petrus fame. Unable to pass up the change to make what he called the “Haut-Brion of Napa”, Moueix came to own the legendary Napanook Vineyard. Moueix eschews irrigation, acidification, and the heavy usage of oak common amongst his Napa colleagues. The exceptional terroir of Napanook in combination with his skillful viticulture and traditional winemaking techniques have repeatedly resulted in some of the most broadly enjoyable Napa Cabs available and clearly place Dominus in the upper echelon of this genre.   

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