Dominus Estate Othello

Napa Valley, California, United States

Vintage:2021 (Current)

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Dominus Estate Othello 2021
  • JS 96
  • TWI 93

Reviews

The Wine Independent 93 Points May 30, 2024, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2021 Othello, is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of fresh blackberries, juicy black plums, and redcurrant jelly followed by hints of graphite, black olives, menthol, and lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is light on its feet and lively, with soft silt-like tannins and bright crunchy red and black fruit flavors, finishing with a minty lift. 1,000 cases were made.

JamesSuckling.com 96 Points February 2024, James Suckling

Lots of blackberries, dark cherries and hints of orange peel and bark in the aromas.Medium- to full-bodied with fine creamy tannins that caress the palate. The tannic tension give this focus and brightness. 85% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc and the rest petit verdot. Hard not to drink now, but better in two to three years.

Overview

Produced from the historic Napanook vineyard in Yountville, California, Othello is a wine that expresses the singularity of its exceptional terroir and is accessible and enjoyable in its youth.

It was at the famed Napanook vineyard that Christian Moueix established Dominus Estate in 1983. An historical site, it was the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Notably, the vineyard’s history can be traced back to Napa Valley’s beginnings, when in 1838 George Yount, for whom the town of Yountville was named, first planted grapevines there.

Today, the vineyard produces three wines: Dominus, its flagship, Napanook, and Othello. A model for its sustainable farming practices, the Napanook vineyard has been hailed for its dry-farming, which shuns watering the vines, thus spurring them to draw deeply on the land’s unique geology.

The resulting wines are an expression of this unique vineyard. In 2021, Dominus Estate received its CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certification for organic farming practices.

Winemaking

Meticulous viticultural and winemaking practices are undertaken with the objective of producing wines that are pure, balanced and complex. Minimal intervention and restraint throughout the process of grape berry selection, fermentation and aging preserve the character of the fruit. The resulting wines are an expression of this unique vineyard.

Tasting Notes

A Bordeaux blend, the wine is forthcoming with lovely aromas of red fruit, round, silky tannins and an abounding brightness.

Harvest Notes

The vintage was characterized by a dry winter and spring, with a total of 14” of rain (July 2020 to June 2021, historical average: 31”). 2021 was the second consecutive year of a drought that started in January 2020. Temperatures were constantly warm over the growing season, moderately higher than the historical average and remained consistent throughout the ripening period. The weather conditions in 2021 favored an early hydric constraint which promoted production of small berries with high levels of phenolic compounds and deeply intense aromas.

Technical Information

Varietals: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot