Dominus Estate Napa Valley Red Table Wine 2015

Perfect 100 points                                                             Rare library release of Dominus Estate 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon. Limited. (please note 6-bottle orders some in original wood box signed by Christian Moeuix) 100 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2015 Dominus is a flawless, perfect wine as well as a legend in the making. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, from dry-farmed vines and brought up in just 40% new French oak, its ruby/purple color is followed by an extraordinary bouquet of blackcurrants, crème de cassis, damp earth, smoke tobacco, and spring flowers. Reminding me of the 2015 Château Margaux with its incredible mix of elegance and power, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, stunning purity of fruit, building tannins, and awesome length. This sensational textured and voluptuous Dominus drink well today yet will evolve for 25-30 years or more." 100 Points Robert Parker: "Bottled in July 2017 and composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the Dominus 2015 Proprietary Red Wine leaps from the glass with notes of fresh wild blueberries, crushed blackberries and black currant juice with touches of wild thyme, underbrush, iron ore and aniseed with wafts of lavender and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has incredible energy and vivacity, with the firm, pixelated tannins and lively backbone skillfully framing the muscular fruit, finishing with wonderful length and depth.... ...Christian Moueix began our tasting of the 2015 vintage with a big smile. “We loved the vintage from the beginning,” he commented simply. Dominus winemaker Tod Mostero explained why 2015 was special: “We had a lot of winter rain—15 inches in December 2014. But then we had a very dry spring—just two inches in March and April. This equated to less vegetative growth, because when you have very little rain in spring, the vegetative growth tends to be limited. This means you need less water in the summer, since the vines prepare themselves for a dry growing season. Because we dry farm, the roots grow deeper and access water that normally wouldn’t be available. We had a similar profile in 2013. The 2015 temperatures were higher than normal but not excessive. Yields were about the same as 2013—smaller than average. The grapes were small. We experienced an early budburst, flowering and harvest, with harvest starting on September 2nd and finished by September 30th." 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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