Dominus Napa Valley

Dominus is the red wine produced from the historical Napanook vineyard, 124 acres in size, in Yountville, mid-Napa Valley, California. Lying just west of Highway 29 at the foot of the Mayacamas range, it is the original ranch where George Yount planted the first vines of the Napa Valley. More recently, it was one of the three vineyards from which the great Inglenook was made. Christian Moueix (of Pomerol fame) became a part owner in 1982 and full owner in 1995. He began producing Dominus with the 1983 vintage. The wine is essentially made from Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It has now obtained worldwide recognition and although Californian by birth with its opulence, spiciness and rich fruit, it clearly has a Bordeaux reference with its emphasis on elegance and refinement. Since the 1996 vintage Napanook has been the second wine of Dominus. The winery structure has also earned critical acclaim. It was designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron and was unveiled in 1997, but is closed to the public.

Napanook 2005 Christian Moueix first released Napanook with the 1996 vintage. The intention is to produce a wine to be enjoyed in its younger years. Napanook is a blend of the four varietals coming from vineyard blocks chosen for their finesse, lively fruit and subtle tannins. The goal is to find the perfect equilibrium between these elements creating a wine that is harmonious in balance and of course, pleasurable to drink. The 2005 vintage has a beautiful garnet colour, with rich aromas of cedar, red berries and licorice. This is a refreshing wine, with supple tannins and a great balance between the nose and the mouth. The round, soft structure with a hint of cigar box leads to a finish of spice with earthy undertones. Christian Moueix recommends decanting the wine before serving to allow it to reach its full potential. "Good deep red-ruby. Complex, enticing aromas of black raspberry, brown spices, game and earth. Sweet and lush, but with a juicy acid spine giving firmness to the dark raspberry, redcurrant and floral flavours. Spicy and shapely for this second wine, with good energy and length." 90 points, Stephen Tanzer, May/June 208

Dominus 2005 Dominus is the proprietary red wine produced in the heart of Napa Valley by Christian Moueix and his team. Since 1983, their goal has been to express the unique terroir found at the historic Napanook vineyard. Today, the vineyard is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remaining acreage with the other classic Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Since its first release, Dominus has been known for its compexity and earthy character, which pays tribute to the Napanook terroir. Christian Moueix truly believes that producing a wine begins in the vineyard. For that reason, each vintage is unique with different varietal compositions reflecting the vineyard and climate conditions of that particular year. This wine has the unique ability to be rich and complex while possessing a smooth and silky texture. The 2004 comprises 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, matured for 16 months in French oak barrels, 40% of which was new. "Good full red-ruby. Highly complex nose melds black raspberry, minerals, milk chocolate, tobacco, licorice and brown spices. Wonderfully silky, sweet and broad; quite primary for a young Dominus vintage but with subtle earth tones adding nuance. This has plenty of high-quality tannins but the wine's buffering flesh gives it an impression of sweetness. One senses near-perfect ripeness here in the way the wine saturates the palate with flavor. Very suave and fine-grained wine that will almost certainly rank among the best half-dozen vintages of Dominus made to day. Incidentally, long-time winemaker Boris Champy has returned to his native France to make wine, and Ted Mostero, previously in charge of winemaking at Almaviva in Chile, is now in charge here." 94+ points, Stephen Tanzer, May/June 2008

Visit Dominus Estate

All wines are available by the unmixed case to Licensees and Private Consumers, subject to availability.

Read the small print for more information.