2013 Dominus Napanook Vineyard

There are 2,000 cases of the 2013 Napanook Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. This wine reflects the much higher quality that’s emerging with the second wine of Dominus, which has really become almost its own entity. Loads of loamy soil notes, grilled herbs, meat, blackcurrants, sweet kirsch and licorice are all present in this medium to full-bodied, lush, sexy wine, even in 2013. It is interesting how much more evolved and forward the 2013 Napanook is compared to the 2013 Dominus. This wine can be drunk over the next 12-15 years. In any event, both merit considerable attention from subscribers.

Just as magnificent from bottle as it was in barrel, the 2013 Napanook is dense, powerful and brooding, with searing intensity and extraordinary balance. Lavender, plums, violets, licorice and smoke are some of the signatures, but the 2013 exudes finesse, power and intensity. Bracing and searing, the 2013 is going to require quite a bit of patience. If anything, this is an insane level of quality for the second selection. The 2013 could turn out to be a thirty-year wine. It is every bit that magnificent, especially if given some aeration.

The 2013 Napanook is a great example of just how good the second wines can be in this vintage. Almost impossibly structured and dense for a wine at this level, the 2013 boasts serious depth and richness, with unusually dark fruit, powerful tannins and exotic, spiced overtones. It will be interesting to see if the 2013 settles down over the next year. Today, it is explosive, bursting with energy and flat-out delicious. Hints of licorice, cloves and new leather add the final layers of complexity. There is little doubt the 2013 Napanook is shaping up to be one of the gems of the vintage.