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Ratings & Reviews
Dominus
Dominus 2009
The Wine Advocate - Antonio Galloni - December 2011
97+ Points "The 2009 Dominus flows from the glass with layers of highly expressive fruit. The wine possesses stunning richness, power and depth. Dark red fruit, tobacco, flowers and spices are woven into a seamless, beautifully articulated finish. Elegance and intensity are in perfect harmony here. This is a thrilling wine from Dominus."
Dominus 2008
Wine & Spirits - Joshua Greene - December 2011
93 Points "A short crop of concentrated berries produced this grand vintage of Dominus, one that will need long aging to show its best. Decant it if you open the bottle now, allowing the initial cabernet franc scent of green herbs to integrate--Josiah Baldivino of Michael Mina in San Francisco described it as 'adding a fine detail, like a pocket square in a suit.'" Air brings out the full stature of the wine, its black cherry richness, violet scents and silken texture. For provençal lamb."
Wine Spectator - James Laube - November 15, 2011
94 Points "Very Bordeaux-like in its makeup and structure, this firm wine has good acidity and tight tannins, offering complex loamy earth, vivid dried currant and berry, with anise and mineral sprinkled in. This is my favorite young Dominus of late."
Dominus 2008 Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2010
99 Points "Made in a more masculine style, the 2008 Dominus has all of that along with bigger body and more structure, fat, density and texture. Both are brilliant wines and they represent the finest back-to-back vintages for Dominus since 2001 and 2002 or 1990 and 1991. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years..."
Dominus 2007
Dominus 2007 Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 23, 2010
98 Points "The 2007 Dominus, the quintessential model of haute couture, is pure elegance exhibiting a seamless integration of wood, tannin, alcohol and acidity as well as a complex bouquet of cedar, new saddle leather, sweet kirsch, black currant and plum fruit and a notion of licorice. Both the 2007 and 2008 Dominus should drink well for 25-30 years."
San Francisco Chronicle - December 05, 2010
Top 100 Wines of 2010: "A stupendous vintage for this Yountville property, packed from first scent with a dark, loamy presence and yet perfectly bright and transparent in its flavors of kirsch, olive, dark stones, blue fruit. There's remarkable density, and fine tannins and a persistence to the taste signals potential to evolve for at least a couple of decades."
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - December 01, 2010
97 Points #16 in the Top 100 Cellar Selections -- "Easily the greatest Dominus in memory... Lacks for nothing in complexity and sheer deliciousness. Tantalizes with blackberry tart, cherry, carob bean and a Pinot Noiresque cola-rhubarb richness that retreats behind rich tannins and an earthiness suggesting sweet blond tobacco and dried sage."
Saveur - November 2010
"A lovely Napa cabernet with Bordeaux echoes, moderately tannic but not harsh."
QRW - Richard Elia - November 2010
"The 2007 is young and very much in line with the style and excellence of the 2006; both are pure and lush and voluptuous..."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 01, 2010
94 Points "Thoroughly integrated acidity and enticing inner-mouth floral lift... Very suave and complex, finishing with noteworthy rising length and very sweet, fine-grained tannins. This beauty has the balance for a long and graceful life in bottle. "
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné - March 21, 2010
"Highlights of blue fruits, kirsch olive, dried leaves and dusty stones are all packed into a wine that shows a tremendous energy, length and elegance even before its release, with higher acids and fine, slightly knotted tannins. It is likely to be among Dominus' finest releases."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2009
98 Points "A prodigious example of Dominus, the 2007 represents a hypothetical blend of a Pomerol, Pauillac, and a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-colored with a sweet nose of incense, cedar wood, black currants, black cherries, licorice, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs, it is an expansive, savory, opulent wine with a full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, and sensational concentration. A legend in the making..."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2009
92-95 Points "Sweet, suave and perfumed in the mouth but a bit youthfully tight today, and showing less flesh and fullness than the velvety 2006. But the wine's smooth tannins arrive late, allowing the fruit to build slowly and the wine's perfume to linger subtly."
Dominus 2006
Dominus 2006 Archived REVIEWS
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné - December 07, 2009
A Top 100 Wine of 20 "...an extraordinary, fresh Dominus...This Yountville property keeps producing strong, lean wines with amazing life in them. Coiled, with racy graphite and underbrush accents, it's full of lively cassis and blackberry, a hint of iron and a brooding tannic structure."
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - December 01, 2009
93 Points Cellar Selection "Right now it shows blackberry, black currant, cedar and baker’s chocolate flavors. Will slowly open and reach maturity after 2011, and could easily develop for far longer."
Wine & Spirits - Joshua Greene - October 2009
93 Points The Year's Best Cabe "Youthfully floral and tight, this vintage of Dominus is a big wine that holds all of its weight behind a powerful structure. And it’s the power of that structure that is front and center...Stay with it and the wine's earthiness begins to meld with the blueberry and chocolate richness."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2009
94+ Points "There's a juicy quality to the ripe red fruit, mineral and graphite flavors, not to mention a firm underlying spine, that promises a long and positive evolution in bottle. Quite young but not austere, finishing with building tannins and lovely lift. The lingering perfume of red fruits, pepper, flowers and licorice is unusually complex. A really superb 2006, seemingly every bit as good as the sensational 2005."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2008
96 Points "...Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005's. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2008
96 Points "Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel."
New York Times - Eric Asimov - August 19, 2008
"...The 2006 is...complex, structured and, yes, deliciously austere."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2007
94-96 Points "The wine is slightly more fruit-forward than the 2005, but has a dark ruby/purple color and a beautiful nose of licorice, cedar, and espresso roast along with black currant and cherry notes. The wine is medium to full-bodied, has slightly more elevated and noticeable tannin than the 2005 (at least at this stage), builds a nicely textured mouthfeel as it sits on the palate, and has impressive length."
Dominus 2005 Archived REVIEWS
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné - December 07, 2008
Top 100 Wines of 200 "Christian Moueix's project showed off this banner year with a more reserved style. Radiant Cabernet aromas of tobacco and a lifted graphite tone mix with dusty plum. The palate is still wound up and young, but brightness and potential course through this highly structured wine. The wine's still in its infancy, but it's wonderful evidence that this Napa-Bordeaux alliance very much remains on its mission and is as good as ever."
San Francisco Chronicle - Lynne Char Bennett - November 14, 2008
3 stars (Excellent) "The project from Chateau Petrus owner Christian Moueix yielded a more subdued, nuanced profile in this banner vintage. Radiant Cabernet aromas of tobacco and a lifted graphite tone mix with dusty plum, very much in a Bordeaux left bank mode. The palate is still wound up and young - and the structure is profound - but brightness and potential course through, hinting at more than a decade of improvement if you age it."
Food & Wine Magazine - Richard Nalley - September 05, 2008
American Wine Award "The Napa Valley property of Christian Moueix (of Bordeaux’s legendary Château Pétrus) produced an Old World–style Cab blend with a density and power that should reward years of cellaring."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2007
96 Points "The 2005 Dominus...has come of age, and is one of the strongest efforts they’ve made. It is possibly the best Dominus since the 2001, and perhaps even the 1997 or 1991. A beautiful, sweet nose of roasted coffee interwoven with kirsch, black currant, cedar, and spice box emerges from this deep ruby/purple-colored wine. The wine has fabulous intensity, a layered, opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, well-integrated acidity, and a stunningly long finish. The layering of this wine as it builds incrementally on the palate is something to behold. An outstanding, sexy, ageworthy Dominus, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and last for at least 25 or 30 years."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2007
92-95 Points "Saturated ruby-red. Vibrant, complex nose melds blackberry, cherry, violet, mocha, cocoa powder, game and tobacco. Rich, fat and large-scaled for a young Dominus, but with its sweetness buffered by excellent inner-mouth energy. This boasts terrific lift for a wine of its volume. Red and darker berry flavors are lifted by a minty topnote. Finishes with noble tannins and a whiplash of fruit....Incidentally, Christian Moueix and his team rank this wine with the 2001 as the best vintages of recent years."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2006
90-92 Points ""...the 2005 Dominus exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a classic bouquet of fresh herbs, spice box, cedar, and black currants. Possessing more austere tannin and a tighter framework than the 2004, Moueix believes it is a more elegant and lighter version of the 2001. It will need 3-4 years of bottle age, and should easily keep for two decades."
Dominus 2004 Archived REVIEWS
Restaurant Wine - January 2008
4+ Stars "Fleshy and very ripely flavored, this is a generous wine, with rich fruitiness (blackberry, blackberry jam, black currant), evident new oak (vanilla, toast, cedar), and a long, mildly tannic finish. Fine quality -- best release yet from Dominus."
San Francisco Chronicle - December 02, 2007
One of the Top 100 W "Christian Moueix still says he is learning to make great wine in Napa Valley, but after 21 years Dominus has more than found its stride. This is powerful, ageless Cabernet - a classic Bordeaux-like nose of currant, ropy licorice, cigar box, dried herbs and ripe blackberry lead to a lifted, well-defined palate. A graphite hint gives some edge to the long, silky finish, and the broad structure hints at its long life ahead."
San Francisco Chronicle - Lynne Char Bennett - November 02, 2007
4 Stars "This year's offering from Christian Moueix's Napanook Vineyard is one of the few wines to earn our four-star rating. ... Remarkable deep dark fruit, sweetly spiced blackberry compote, anise, dried oregano and minty cedar draw you in, but it's the equally complex, ever-evolving palate that commands attention. Dense fruit, warm spice and minerally tannins give hints of this wine's future. Decant the wine if enjoying it in its youth."
Wine News - August 2007
92 Points "Loamy aromas of cherry, raspberry, pencil and brown sugar. Flavors of cherry, citrus, milk chocolate and chalk are supple and uncharacteristically ripe at such an early age for this wine. Espresso notes perk up the close."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2007
91+ Points "Deep red-ruby. Deep but reticent aromas of dark raspberry, cocoa powder, hot rocks and minerals, with notes of menthol and wintermint. Very firmly built...an almost Saint-Estephe-like menthol austerity."
Business Week - Robert Parker - April 23, 2007
94 Points "The elegant, dark plum/purple/garnet-colored 2004 exhibits a big, sweet perfume with cedar, mocha, black cherry liqueur, and black currant notes. It is medium- to full-bodied with silky tannin as well as a luscious mouthfeel and finish. This wine should be more accessible in its youth than many of its predecessors but ought to last for two decades."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2006
94 Points "The elegant, dark plum/purple/garnet-colored 2004 Dominus exhibits a big, sweet, cedary, roasted herb, mocha, black cherry liqueur, black currant, and earth-scented perfume. Medium to full-bodied with silky tannin as well as a luscious mouthfeel and finish, it should be more accessible in its youth than many of its predecessors, but easily last for two decades."
Dominus 2003 Archived REVIEWS
Business Week - Robert Parker - April 23, 2007
95 Points "A big, sweet nose of roasted coffee, Provençal herbs, black currants, cherry jam, plums, allspice, and forest floor is followed by a spicy, rich, full-bodied, fragrant, intense wine. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025."
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonne - December 15, 2006
3 Stars, Recommended "Christian Moueix, head of Bordeaux's famed Chateau Petrus, used this bottling to celebrate 20 years of his wine from the Napanook vineyard. Dominus' relatively modest Bordeaux-like flavor profile, using just 40 percent new wood, tends to polarize Napa Cab lovers. This is a classic example, with 7 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Petit Verdot blended in. Great counterpoint here: Wood notes of cedar and dried herbs balance out raspberry and currant highlights. Fresh, enticing aromas keep drawing your nose back to the glass. It's quite young, with a slightly wobbly finish."
Wine & Spirits - October 2006
93 Points “Christian Moueix’s Napanook vineyard has pedigree, and so does the wine. Moueix’s 20th—anniversary vintage, this emphasizes distinction and restraint, the deep black fruit scent and milder tobacco sweetness balancing the savor of fine tannins. It takes several days for the tannins to release the dark cherry flavors more completely. For the collector’s cellar.”
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2005
95 Points "The 2003 Dominus has turned out even better than I thought from barrel. There are 4,800 cases of this 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot blend. A big, sweet nose of roasted coffee, Provencal herbs, black currants, cherry jam, plums, allspice, and forest floor is followed by a spicy, rich, full-bodied, fragrant, intense wine. The tannins are sweet, but noticeable in this beautifully complex, strikingly aromatic 2003. It has much more similarity to a great Bordeaux than anything from Napa Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025."
Quarterly Review of Wines - October 2003
"Ruby color, deep chocolate tones, along with mint and clove and rich blackberry. Delicious. Explosiveness in the palate; complexity everywhere. If you consume now, decant. Better to cellar for another year or more. Buy!!"
International Wine Cellar - Steve Tanzer - May 2003
90+ Points "Full red-ruby. Crystallized redcurrant, licorice, shoe polish, smoky oak and menthol on the nose. Dense, lush and sweet, but ultimately a Dominus of moderate size and scale. Fruit-driven flavors of redcurrant, black cherry and tobacco, with a hint of fresh herbs. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and a slight medicinal austerity. A stylish, rather Pauillac-like wine with lovely clarity of flavor. My sample had been poured into a decanter two hours before I tasted it and showed the benefits of aerating a very young cabernet-based wine. The same wine from a new bottle showed much more pungent green pepper and bay laurel aromas and a leaner texture."
Dominus 2002 Archived REVIEWS
Business Week - Robert Parker - April 23, 2007
96 Points "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 needs three to five years of bottle aging and should last for 25 years."
Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences - January 05, 2006
Exceptional "Fairly closed at first, but with an hour of air shows cherry, pepper, and tea notes, with hints of cumin and tar. One of the best Dominus wines ever made, with better tannin structure than in the past and a wine that seems built for the future."
Wine & Spirits - December 2005
94 Points The Super Cabernet "This wine combines staying power with tremendous elegance. The complex red fruit scents and satin pleasure of the texture make it well worth opening a bottle now. Age will add to the earthy complexity."
Wine News - November 2005
93 Points "Warm, pungent aromas of raspberry, vanilla, maple and smoke. Well-integrated flavors of cherry, licorice, pencil shavings and charred oak exhibit great depth and complexity. Smooth, spicy close shows ample fruit."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - February 2005
96 Points "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."
Dominus 2001
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - June 2011
98 Points "A brilliant showing for Christian Moueix’s well-known Napanook Vineyard, the 2001 Dominus is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. A classic in the making, this is a flawless, seamless example of elegant, complex Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses a Bordeaux-like personality. This gorgeous, sexy, opulent, dense ruby/purple-colored wine reveals sweet caramel, mocha, creme de cassis and kirsch notes intermixed with a hint of espresso roast as well as underbrush. Ripe, long and full-bodied with well-integrated tannin, acidity, alcohol and wood, this prodigious 2001 is drinkable now and over the next 25+ years given this estate’s longevity track record. A virtually perfect wine, it is one of the most complex 2001s at present."
Dominus 2001 Archived REVIEWS
QRW - Richard Elia - November 2010
"The 2001 is a five-star wine and one of our favorites. The wine still has considerable youth, but the rich flavors of mocha and chocolate, of deep blackberry, spice, and anise are seductive in the extreme.
Business Week - Robert Park - April 23, 2007
95 Points "The impeccably made 2001...boasts a dense plum/purple color in addition to a fragrant perfume of cocoa, cedar, coffee, roasted herbs, and black fruits. Rich and medium- to full-bodied, with sweet but noticeable tannin, a layered mid-palate, and a long finish, it will require three to four years of cellaring. It should last for two decades."
Washington Post - Ben Giliberti - December 15, 2004
"The 2001 is a top-notch wine that combines the deep, fleshy structure of a classic Napa Valley Cabernet with the subtle nuances of Bordeaux winemaking."
Wine Enthusiast - S.H. - October 01, 2004
94 Points "As good as the 2001 Napanook is, this wine is more intense. The fruit is lusher, the oak newer, the control more complete, but the kicker is the tannins. They’re powerful and dusty, and conceal the flamboyance, for now. This is a monster of a wine that desperately needs time before exploding. Hold until 2010 and beyond."
International Wine Cellar - Steve Tanzer - May 2004
93 Points "Good ruby-red. Superripe aromas of plum, cherry, licorice, mocha, smoke and minerals. At once sweet and gripping, with very intense, nuanced flavors of cherry, plum, currant, tobacco, minerals and currant leaf. Despite the very high pH of 4.01, this shows no shortage of energy in the mouth. A muscular, firmly tannic, serious wine for aging. (A second sample that had been decanted for four hours prior to my visit was sweeter and more seamless, but still showed solid tannic spine.)"
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2003
95 Points "The impeccably made 2001 Dominus boasts a dense plum/purple color in addition to a fragrant, promising perfume of cocoa, cedar, coffee, roasted herbs, and copious quantities of black fruits. There are 7,000 cases of this 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot blend. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with sweet but noticeable tannin, a layered mid-palate, and a long finish with obvious tannin, it will require 3-4 years of cellaring. It should last for two decades."
Dominus 2000 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - December 10, 2003
90 Points "This Dominus is almost as good as the ’99. It’s not a lavish blockbuster, but the cassis and herb flavors are delicious, and well oaked. The prettiest part is the mouthfeel, all soft and velvety. Shows plenty of class and elegance."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2003
90+ Points "Full red-ruby. Crystallized redcurrant, licorice, shoe polish, smoky oak and menthol on the nose. Dense, lush and sweet, but ultimately a Dominus of moderate size and scale. Fruit-driven flavors of redcurrant, black cherry and tobacco, with a hint of fresh herbs. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and a slight medicinal austerity. A stylish, rather Pauillac-like wine with lovely clarity of flavor."
Dominus 1999 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - November 15, 2002
91 Points "Opens with herbal aromas of sage, dill and tobacco, with a vanilla, oaky note, so it’s surprising how rich it drinks. Sweet cassis is on the palate, framed in soft but intricate tannins."
Wine Spectator - James Laube - November 15, 2002
95 Points "A wine of great intensity, depth and complexity. Beautifully crafted, ripe, rich and creamy, showing off pretty vanilla and mocha-scented oak before a deep core of currant, blackberry, black cherry and minerally flavors fold in. Firm tannins add structure on the finish."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2002
91+ Points "Medium red-ruby. Spicy red- and blackcurrant, plum, currant leaf and mocha on the claret-like nose. Dense and rich, with spicy red berry and lightly floral flavors nicely framed by harmonious acidity. ...Firmly tannic and very strong on the back end, with an almost medicinal austerity; very much a wine from small berries."
Dominus 1998 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Spectator - James Laube - July 31, 2001
91 Points "Earthy, elegant and refined Cabernet blend, delivering layers of currant, tar, black cherry, cedar, coffee and anise, all sharply focused and framed by just the right amount of tannin."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2001
90 Points "Saturated red. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, smoked meat, roasted tomato, earth and tobacco leaf; deeper and more complex than the Napanook bottling. A step up in complexity, vibrancy and precision of flavor. Silky and fairly deep, with slightly truffley chocolate and tobacco flavors. Finishes with big but suave tannins and a hint of licorice."
Dominus 1997 Archived REVIEWS
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2000
95 Points "Saturated ruby-red. Multidimensional nose offers a panoply of scents: black plum, currant, leather, smoked meat, cigar ash, lead pencil, sandalwood, dark chocolate, licorice, brown sugar. Very bright and sharply defined; flavors of plum, leather, hot stones and lead pencil. An impeccably balanced wine of compelling sweetness, but rather dominated today by its structure. Strong, thoroughly ripe tannins spread out to coat the entire palate. Very long and subtle."
Dominus 1996 Archived REVIEWS
QRW - Richard Elia - November 2010
"The 1996 is one of the finest vintages of the decade, along with 1990 and 1994, and if you have any, continue to cellar, but you can also start drinking because the tannins are nearly evolved and finalized. The texture is gorgeously seductive and the wine as a whole is reminiscent of a great Bordeaux."
Dominus 1994 Archived REVIEWS
Napanook
Napanook 2009
The Wine Advocate - Antonio Galloni - December 2011
92 Points "The 2009 Napanook is rich, powerful and seductive. This is a more radiant, brighter style than the 2008. There is considerable fleshiness as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2009 is a very sexy Napanook endowed with tons of personality and sheer class. Despite its generous fruit, there is more than enough underlying structure to allow the wine to drink well for a number of years."
Napanook 2008
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - September 2011
89 Points "With grapes from Yountville, this Bordeaux blend, which is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, has a very fine structure. It’s firm in tannins and acidity, with a bracing minerality. The flavors are already quite advanced, suggesting jammy cherries, blackberries and cassis. Drink now for sheer deliciousness, after decanting."
Napanook 2008 Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 23, 2010
93 Points "The 2008 Napanook...may be one of the greatest Napanooks made. It is a deeper, richer, more intense wine with full body, an endearing texture and a long, pure finish. These two are 'take your pick' vintages, but wine enthusiasts would probably be remiss in not having both 2007 and 2008 in their cellars."
Napanook 2007 Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 23, 2010
91 Points "...the 2007 continues to show wonderful elegance, sweet finesse and ripe Napa Valley fruit."
San Francisco Chronicle - December 05, 2010
Top vintners not at top dollar -- "Affordable bottles made by some of the year's top winemakers"
Nashville Tennessean - Frank Sutherland - August 18, 2010
"The bouquet was lively and rich with scents of black currants, cranberries, dark cherries and spice. The mouth feel was plush, the texture silky and elegant. Drinkable immediately, it should age well for a few years."
Baltimore Sun - Michael Dresser - July 13, 2010
"When you consider the quality, this lush, complex Bordeaux-style blend is a steal at this price. This wine, which comes from as fine a "sweet spot" for cabernet sauvignon (61 percent of the mix) as anywhere in the world, delivers a classic mix of black cherry, cassis, wild berry, chocolate and coffee flavors. Big without being a blockbuster, it appeals to both the senses and the mind. While delicious now, it will gain depth and bouquet for 20 years or more."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 01, 2010
90 Points "Suave on entry... with an edge of acidity to the black raspberry, redcurrant and mocha flavors. Slightly dry tannins. There's solid density here..."
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné - March 21, 2010
"A ripe, silken profile that makes it immediately friendly - with a pure Cabernet nose accented by tobacco, bay leaf and red fruit high tones. It's already engaging, without a hint of austerity. A second label like this leaves plenty of mainliners in the dust."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2009
92 points "The 2007 Napanook...exhibits the Bordeaux style that proprietor Christian Moueix has fashioned from this legendary vineyard in Yountville. Its deep plum/ruby color is accompanied by sweet aromas of cedar, black currants, cherries, spice box, and earth. Lush, fleshy, elegant, and pure, it should drink nicely for 15+ years."
Napanook 2006 Archived REVIEWS
Wine Enthusiast - Steve Heimoff - November 2009
91 points "...[I]t’s the best release since 2003. Dry and well-structured, it offers complex flavors of black current and sweet grill oak."
Wine & Spirits - Joshua Greene - October 2009
94 points, Part of t "The 2006 Napanook...is transparent, its beauty easy to see. It may, in fact, be the best vintage of Napanook we’ve tasted on release--all black currents and peppercorn spice, lifted, savory, dark and intense."
International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2009
89+ Points "Deep red-ruby. Raspberry, mocha, tobacco, brown spices, menthol and herbs on the lively and inviting nose. Supple on entry ... with flavors of red fruits, smoke, flowers and earth along with some slightly edgy acidity."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2008
92 points "The 2006 Napanook...is made in a riper, more California style than usual, displaying more exuberant, up-front notes of kirsch, black currants, and plums. Deep and full-bodied with low acidity, sweet tannin, and a fleshy, succulent personality, it tastes like a classic Napa Cabernet."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2007
90-92 Points "An elegant wine with notes of sweet cherries intertwined with coffee bean, cedar, subtle underbrush, and blacker fruits, the oak is clearly in the background of this wine, which is medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins, and should drink nicely for 10-12+ years."
Napanook 2005 Archived REVIEWS
San Francisco Chronicle - Jon Bonné - December 07, 2008
Recommended Selected as a terrific value under $40
San Francisco Chronicle - Lynne Char Bennett - June 13, 2008
2.5 stars (Excellent "Christian Moueix intends for this wine - the just-released 10th vintage made from Napanook Vineyard grapes - to be enjoyed in the near term. High-toned chamomile, black raspberry, cedar, toasted sesame seed, slight brioche and mint chocolate aromas. Medium-bodied palate with bright huckleberry and dark plum skin on the lengthy finish; slightly firm tannins."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2007
91 Points "The 2005 Napanook...has turned out to be a beauty. Four thousand cases of this wine were made, and it exhibits wonderful cedar, spice box, roasted herb, and sweet black cherry and cassis notes in a medium to full-bodied style with sweet tannin, impressive texture, and silky, long, lush finish. It should drink well for 10-15 years."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2007
89-92 points "(recently pumped to tank and not yet fined) Good full ruby-red. Primary aromas of cherry, plum, raspberry, currant, tar, menthol and tobacco leaf. At once sweet and tangy, with menthol and mint notes lifting the juicy red berry flavors. This has an almost exotic spicy/floral quality and plenty of inner-palate energy. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins."
Napanook 2004 Archived REVIEWS
Press Democrat - Tasting Room - August 01, 2007
3 Stars "A rich cab with brambly fruit flavors. Notes of blackberry, black plum and tobacco."
Wine News - June 2007
90 Points "Reserved aromas of cranberry, plum and dust with a bell pepper nuance. Flavors of red fruit, oak char and mocha show much vigor. Lean, earthy close."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - Stephen Tanzer - May 2007
89 points "Red-ruby. Sexy aromas of redcurrant, gravel, minerals and flowers; the perfume reminded me of nebbiolo! Juicy, nicely delineated flavors of raspberry, redcurrant, flowers, mint and a whiff of meat. A rather elegant, complex wine with good lift."
Napanook 2003 Archived REVIEWS
Wine & Spirits - October 2006
93 points “Christian Moueix’s Napanook vineyard has pedigree, and so does the wine. Moueix’s 20th—anniversary vintage, this emphasizes distinction and restraint, the deep black fruit scent and milder tobacco sweetness balancing the savor of fine tannins. It takes several days for the tannins to release the dark cherry flavors more completely. For the collector’s cellar.”
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2005
90 Points "The second wine (3,100 cases), the 2003 Napanook, is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec. It offers a dark plum/garnet color as well as an evolved but intriguing nose of cedar, spice box, high quality cigar smoke, sweet currants, incense, red cherries, plums, and black currants. Complex with excellent concentration, beautiful balance, and sweet tannin, it can be drunk now or cellared for another 10-15 years."
Napanook 2002 Archived REVIEWS
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - February 2002
92 Points "The 2002 Napanook (2,400 cases from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec) is more structured and tannic than the 2003, but also deeper colored with additional notes of plum liqueur, black currants, underbrush, cedar, and licorice. Full-bodied, rich, and powerful, this impressive effort requires 1-3 years of cellaring, and will drink well over the following 12-15 years."
Napanook 2001 Archived REVIEWS
Spirit Journal - F. Paul Pacult - September 2005
Recommended "The winemaking genius of Christian Moueix is clearly evident in this classic Bordeaux-style blend that, in this case, highlights the minty, piney cabernet sauvignon."
Wine Enthusiast - S.H. - October 01, 2004
91 Points "Very dry, and young in its fresh tannins and acids framing ripe, grapey currant flavors, mocha, vanilla and sweet dill. Obviously very fine and balanced, with a powerful finish. Beautiful now, but should develop through this decade."
International Wine Cellar - Steve Tanzer - May 2004
90 Points "Slightly medicinal aromas of redcurrant, cedar, cigar box and mint. Juicy and nicely delineated in the mouth, with redcurrant, tobacco, mineral and floral flavors. Offers good freshness and length. The flavors are claret-like, dry and adult, but the tannins are nicely ripe. Includes a trace of malbec (1%) for the first time. An excellent vintage for this bottling."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2003
88 Points "The 2001 Napanook exhibits a chocolaty, black cherry, and currant-scented nose with hints of dried herbs, cocoa, cedar, and spice in the background. Incredibly Bordeaux-like, it possesses soft, sweet tannin, medium body, and undeniable elegance. Enjoy it now and over the next 7-8 years."
Napanook 2000 Archived REVIEWS
International Wine Cellar - Steve Tanzer - June 2004
88 Points "Slightly medicinal aromas or redcurrant, cedar, cigar box and mint. Juicy and nicely delineated in the mouth, with redcurrant, tobacco, mineral and floral flavors. Offers good freshness and length. The flavors are claret-like, dry and adult, but the tannins are nicely ripe. Includes a trace of malbec (1%) for the first time. An excellent vintage for this bottling."
The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2003
86 Points "The 2000 Napanook possess a dark plum/garnet color in addition to an elegant, spicy, cedary bouquet revealing hints of chocolate, dried herbs, and red as well as black currants. Medium bodied, soft and easy-going, it is best consumed over the next 4-6 years."
Other Dominus Estate Reviews
Other Dominus Estate Reviews Archived REVIEWS
New York Times - Eric Asimov - August 19, 2008
Producer Worth Check A producer "of balanced, restrained Napa cabernets"
San Francisco Chronicle - John King - August 24, 2007
"The best work of contemporary architecture in Napa is off-limits to the public: Dominus Estate in Yountville, an austere box that tucks all the winery operations behind walls formed by wire cages filled with basalt rocks. It's by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who later designed San Francisco's M.H. de Young Memorial Museum and were the 2001 recipients of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field's highest honor. If you want a peek, turn west off Highway 29 onto Madison Street, take a sharp right and you're outside the estate - looking through its elegant screened metal fence. What you'll see is underwhelming, a long gray rectangle that projects no image at all. It's a container made of containers. The feeling that unfolds inside is something else, a hypnotic exercise in efficient restraint and low-key contradictions. The structure is heavy as can be, yet light and air seep in from outside. And while there's nothing organic about the shape, it has an earthiness that feels far more natural than the opulently landscaped showplaces elsewhere in the valley."
Business Week - Robert Parker - April 23, 2007
"I can't think of anyone other than Christian Moueix who could claim to produce one of the greatest wines in France and one of the best in the U.S. For more than three decades, Moueix has been the winemaker for Bordeaux's renowned Château Pétrus, which is owned by his brother Jean-François. Since 1983, Moueix also has been the winemaker for Dominus Estate in California's Napa Valley and, since 1995, the estate's sole owner.
Moueix brings to Napa savoir faire, impeccable attention to detail, and classic Bordeaux winemaking techniques. He has consistently produced wines that smell, taste, and age like great Bordeaux. That is a remarkable achievement, because Pétrus is virtually 100% merlot, while Dominus is largely 80% or more cabernet sauvignon."