Packed with cherry, mulberry and boysenberry paste flavors that show a sappy edge, while roasted apple wood and licorice snap notes coat the finish. Brambly energy skirts underneath, keeping this honest enough. A frankly gutsy style. Best from 2027 through 2032.

This is bright, showing violet and hibiscus notes out front, while slightly high-pitched accents of cherry and pomegranate coulis race along. Opens steadily in the glass, with a finishing kick of fruit on the finish. Drink now through 2031. 

Easily rivaling the excellent 2021—might it be even better?—Dominus's 2023 Napanook originates largely from the middle portion of the vineyard as a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Qualitatively and stylistically, it sits nicely between the lighter, crisper Othello and the vin de garde produced from the more gravelly section of the vineyard at the back, closest to the Mayacamas. Cherries and dusty loam are joined by hints of vanilla on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is lush, with a seductive swell of fruit and tannins that flows seamlessly into a long finish tinged with black olives and black tea, framed by soft tannins.

Coming primarily from the front of the property, closest to Highway 29, the 2023 Othello Red Wine sees the least new oak of the three wines emanating from the Dominus vineyard, only 15% to 20%. This blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot offers up a pleasant mix of cherries, pomegranate and cassis, plus subtle herbal notes and a hint of orange zest on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is silky-textured, ending on a tart, cranberry-ish note.

The only one of the Dominus wines to show more than a hint of wood, the 2023 Dominus matured in 40% new French oak, leaving it marked by caramel and cedar overtones. Yet that oak aging is balanced by plenty of black cherry fruit and loamy earth notes, blending easily into a harmonious whole. Medium- to full-bodied, this rich, almost creamy blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot finishes with velvety tannins borne on a finish that unfolds to reveal incredible persistence and complexity.