2011 | Dominus Estate | Christian Moueix

A perfumed and refined nose of rose petal, orange rind, raspberry and coriander flower. This elegant nature continues through the palate, which is lacy and plush, but becomes quite rustic on the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine & Spirits: Christian Moueix and his team at Dominus have experience with rainy vintages in Bordeaux. They also farm a site that is particularly well adapted to draining excess water. So they produced a remarkable 2011, a late vintage challenged by rain close to harvest, It's proof that a challenge met can create something sublime-like this floral, red raspberry-scented vintage of Dominus. It's tense chord of flavor incorporating green herb, tobbacco, casis and raspberry in a lasting harmony. The sophistocated structure suggests it will age with grace, while the gentleness of that structure will make it accessible along the way. A great bottle for lamb.

• James Suckling: Wonderful aromas of tobacco, currant, berry and mineral. Ink and lead pencil. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely texture and freshness. Not the amazing 2010 but excellent.

Producer Information

Dominus Estate is a wine producer based just outside northern Yountville, in California's Napa Valley wine region. The winery makes one Napa's so-called cult Cabernets and its eponymous wine regulary receives critical acclaim. The owner, Christian Moueix, has had ownership – at least in part – since 1982, and ran the estate concurrently with his family wine business in Bordeaux until 2008. The estate is based around the Napanook vineyard, which is notable for being one of the first sites planted to grapes in the Napa Valley. George Yount, who gives his name to the Yountville appellation, set up a vineyard here in 1838 and, since then, the 50-hectare (124-acre) site has been owned by all manner of Napa stalwarts including John Daniel Jr, who is widely credited with bringing the Inglenook estate to world prominence. Moueix went into partnership in 1982 with Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, the daughters of John Daniel Jr, and, in 1995, took over as the sole owner. Since then, a second vineyard has been added to the Dominus portfolio, this time in Oakville. The Napanook vineyard sits on the edge of the Mayacamas Mountains, rising slightly into the hills to the west of the valley. The vineyard is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, although there are plantings of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This makeup is reflected in Dominus Estate's flagship red wine, which is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc – although the exact proportions depend on the vintage. Dominus Estate also makes an entry-level red wine, Othello, and a mid-level Cabernet, Napanook. The vineyard is dry-farmed both to conserve water and to control yields and thus the quality of the fruit. Moueix has also been a particular proponent of crop-thinning, having used it since the early 1970s at his most high-profile estate: Pétrus. This practice is said to improve the quality of the fruit as it improves the leaf-to-fruit ratio, aiding ripening. Dominus Estate is also notable for its winery, designed by the same Swiss architects that designed Beijing's Olympic Stadium. It is constructed from gabions filled with stones, which give the winery natural light as well as moderating Napa Valley's extremes of temperature.

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