With 7,000-8,000 cases a year of the main wine - a Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend - Dominus Estate, and 4,000-5,000 cases of the second wine - Napanook, and a reputation that commands respect throughout the world, they are not too worried about explaining themselves to general public. The owner and founder - Christian Moueix (pronounced "Moo-Ex") also happens to preside over an empire of right bank Bordeaux chateaux in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion that include perhaps the most expensive and prestigious red wine in the world - Chateau Petrus, whose average price for a bottle of the 2005 vintage is $5000. Let's face it, the dude doesn't need more cash. Patron of arts and other fine things, Christian Moueix, now in his 60's, and his son Edouard are seeking perfection and beauty. At least, that's what Tod Mostero, the Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus since 2007, and Kassidy Harris, the new head of PR and an ex wine director from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro (in Yountville) conveyed during my three-hour examination of the estate's vineyard and wines.
Dominus Estate was founded in 1982 on some of the most historic soils in Napa Valley. The Napanook vineyard used to belong to the Inglenook winery that had made wine since the 19th century. But despite its famous lineage, Dominus had not gained acclaim until the 1990's. According to Tod, it took a number of years for a family which was expert at making Merlot-based wines in Bordeaux to see results from Cabernet-based vines in Napa Valley. Tod pointed out that perhaps only now, after nearly 30 years, are they starting to figure out how to make wine in Napa. A modest statement, considering the track record. Tod explained that the "figuring out" part comes in when dealing with whatever each vintage throws at you. Learning how to get the best out of the weather and vines each year takes a long time. Which is why it's hard to compare with places in the old world where fine wine has been made for centuries.
Past taking care of the vines, the biggest winemaking technique, if you will, is picking the right harvest date. Careful determination of the optimal level of ripeness (even one day off may noticeably degrade the final wine) is critical. "Consider a perfectly ripe peach", says Tod, "It's complex, sweet and tart, flavorful, juicy and delicious. If unripe, it would be too green and one-dimensional. If too ripe, the nuances will be covered up by sugar, so as to become one-dimensional as well. We are looking for the perfect peach!" The next key step is removing imperfections from grape clusters. "Complexity comes from harvest date. Purity comes from sorting", says Tod. This is one place where high technology is utilized, as image analysis module is built into the sorting equipment to automatically filter out anything that doesn't look like a good grape berry. (I've seen the same equipment being experimented with at Opus One.) Past that, modest oak treatment (40% new oak for Dominus, 20% for Napanook) for 16-18 months aims to allow the juice not the wood to shine through. The wines end up at around 14.1% alcohol.
In Bordeaux, usually maximum sunlight is desirable to ripen the grapes. Thus thinning of the leaves to expose grapes is common practice there. Dominus, on the other hand, employs a unique trellising system which spreads apart 4 shoots from each vine such that the canopy of leaves hangs over the grapes at a precise angle in order to reduce the amount of direct sun hitting the grape clusters.
Overall impressions
For the tasting, Tod lined up the 2007, 2006, 2005, and 1996 vintages of Dominus and 2007, 2006, and 2005 vintages of Napanook. All but the 1996 are still readily available in the market. Opportunity much appreciated, given these wines retail for ~$100-150/btl - still a relative bargain compared to many other top Napa cabs. I had requested that 1987, 1991 and 1994 be poured - as those are the most highly regarded prior vintages. Alas, I was out of luck. I think it would have been helpful to try those older bottles, given the steep maturity curve I observed going from 2005 to 1996. Perhaps next time.
I enjoyed the wines. Like a pretty woman in a Valentino red gown, they are easy to love, yet far from shallow. Dominus is more powerful and complex than Napanook, but both are good. Beautiful flavors and medium-weight textures, with a streak of inky chocolate running through all of them, and a bit of spice, especially in Dominus. A hint of earthiness and herbaceousness benefits the overall flavor profile. The wines reminded me of Opus from the 1990's, but perhaps even more to my liking.
Tasting notes
Acidity is a significant topic for me, as it not only affects the overall balance of a wine but also its aging potential and its food-friendliness. Dominus wines were medium acidity, higher than many Napa wines I try, but less acidic than their Bordeaux counter-parts - undoubtedly a manifestation of Napa climate. Having recently tasted cabs from Ridge Monte Bello, Dunn and Opus One from the 1980's and 1990's, with higher acidities, I felt that Dominus seemed to have matured faster, which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on one's outlook and purpose. After all, drinking beautifully at a 15 year mark is nothing to sneeze at. However, I think, had the wines had higher acidity, the 1996 would have been brighter and more youthful. All said, my friend Chris and I did love it (in fact, he wanted to run out and buy a case!), just not sure I would age it for another 10 years.
"1996 Dominus Estate (82% Cab, 10% Cab Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot) - nose: a blend of black fruits and baked/roasted sweet veggies and tobacco. On the palate: secondary flavors, puree of sweet roasted veggies (beets, squashes, etc...) and black cherries and berries. Wow! So much character! Minty, tobacco, savory, forest floor, faded leaves and flowers, medium-acid." -- Iron Chevsky, March 2011
None of the wines felt hot or alcoholic or jammy or over-the-top, despite the 14.1% alcohol on the label. The 2005 was my favorite Napanook and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with its bigger brother Dominus:
"2005 Napanook - a little herb on the nose; mint, cool herbs, more Bordeaux-like, dark berry tea, hint of roasted coffee." -- Iron Chevsky, March 2011
Conclusion
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