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Tasting notes
The other significant change is how the quality of Napanook has risen. Really a separate entity these days, the 2007 continues to show wonderful elegance, sweet finesse and ripe Napa Valley fruit. It is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. This estate, owned by Christian Moueix, includes the famed Napanook Vineyard that was the base of so many of the historic Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignons of the 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, they have completely eliminated Merlot from the bottling. The 2007 Dominus is a 5,400-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There are 4,200 cases of the 2008 Dominus which is composed of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Lower yields resulted in a denser, more concentrated wine. The remarkable thing about these cuvees is that they smell like a hypothetical blend of a top Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a serious Bordeaux, possibly a cross blend of a Pomerol and Pauillac. Both wines possess silky sweet tannins, which is the big difference between Dominus post-1990 and the first seven vintages, where the tannin content was relatively high. About 40% new oak is used in their upbringing. P.S. In a couple of years, readers should be on the look-out for a new estate wine from Christian Moueix. One mile north of the Napanook Vineyard, Moueix has purchased a 36-acre, already planted parcel known as the Schmidt Ranch. I tasted some of the 2009 barrel samples and this appears to be another promising venture with a completely different personality a more obviously Napa Valley/Cabernet Sauvignon, ripe style of wine than the more elegant, complex Dominus. I’m not sure what the name will be, but it will definitely not be called the Schmidt Ranch. Tel. (707) 944-8954; Fax (707) 944-0547
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The second label from Christian Moueix's Dominus brand and his Napanook Vineyard. Firmly tannic and with pert acidity, its minerality, earthiness and Asian spice notes add complexity to the black cherry/plum fruit. A California wine made in a Bordeaux style. (LM)
Good deep red-ruby. Slightly roasted aromas of black raspberry, tobacco, licorice and dark chocolate. Suave on entry, then a bit disjointed in the middle palate, with an edge of acidity to the black raspberry, redcurrant and mocha flavors. Slightly dry tannins. There's solid density here but the wine needs a year or two to harmonize.
Medium red. Musky red fruits, mocha, game and animal fur on the claret-like nose. Broad and lush in the mouth, conveying a fuller, weightier impression than the 2006 but at least as much energy. Finishes with big but sweet tannins and excellent length. Today the 2006 Napanook seems almost dry by comparison.
About the producer
Dominus Estate – the Napa property owned by Christian Moueix of Pétrus and La Fleur-Pétrus – has rapidly earned cult status.
Product details
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Red
Dry