Dominus Estate Vertical Tasting - One of the First Growths of Napa Valley back to the 1991 Vintage.

 

“Artists and poets still find life's meaning in a glass of wine.”

 

- Joy Sterling, A Cultivated Life

 

If life’s meaning is in a glass of wine I would have figured it out by now as I drink two bottles every day!

 

My raison d'etre is to drink the world’s greatest wines and I can’t believe that we have not hosted a tasting with Dominus estate in the past 28 years.  I was invited to a dinner in the early 1990’s right after the winery was just getting started as their first vintage was 1983.  Our host was none other than Christian Mouiex, we tasted through the first six vintages of Dominus Estate at Chef Allen’s restaurant in Aventura.  I still remember the mini rack of rabbit that he served as it was one of the most memorable dishes that I have ever had.  It was a special night and the wines were amazing although still very young it was evident at that time that Dominus would become one of Napa Valley’s top Cabernet Sauvignon blends.

 

We just received a small collection of wines that had several vintages of Dominus Estate and although I have had this wine on numerous occasions, I could not remember ever hosting a vertical tasting featuring this great estate.  You guessed it!  I set aside a bottle of each vintage to host our first ever vertical of Dominus Estate! 

 

Join us as we taste this great Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon blend all the way back to the 1991 vintage, which I have heard over the years from several winemakers that this was the best vintage of the 1990’s.. but that’s why we host these events!  We’re doing scientific work with one of Napa Valley’s greatest wines to see what the best vintage of Dominus Estate is!  The fee for this tasting, which includes dinner and gratuity is $425 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463. 

 

 

Dominus Estate Napa Valley Wine Tasting

 

Saturday, June 26th

 

7:30pm

 

1991 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

1999 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2000 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2003 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2015 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2016 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2020 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2021 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2023 Dominus Estate Christian Moueix Napa Valley

 

2023 Dominus Estate Napanook Napa Valley

 

Menu

 

Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie

 

Lions Main Mushroom and Amontillado Sherry Soup with Crème Fraiche

 

Beef Tartar Served Over Bone Marrow Canoe with Truffle Aioli and Whole Wheat Toast

 

Duck Confit Served with Currant Cabernet Demi and Sweet Potato Au Gratin

 

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

 

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $425 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies or aversions and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.

 

A bit about Dominus Estate Napa Valley

 

 

Dominus Estate is the single most interesting and the single most controversial new winery to arrive on the scene in the history of the modern era of California wine.  This assertion can be challenged perhaps only by OPUS I, the joint venture of Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild.  When the first Opus I was released in 1983, it arrived with considerable fanfare.  The first case from the first barrel had been auctioned (without anyone having tasted it) for the highest auction price ever paid ($24,000) in the history of California wine.  However, critical reception to OPUS I was somewhat lukewarm; most felt that the initial releases were quite good, but not extraordinary.  Unlike Mr. Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the owners of Dominus Estate decided to give the critics a preview peek of their first wines. 

 

From the outset there was almost a universal chorus of praise from the nation's most influential wine authorities.  Robert Parker, editor of the prestigious The Wine Advocate, told his readers that the 1983 Dominus was not only a "great and profound wine" but also would "no doubt cause a rethinking of winemaking" in California.  Dominus hit the front page of The Wine Spectator in late June of 1987.  That same week bidding for Dominus at the Napa Valley wine auction reached a frenetic pace.  Three oversize bottles went for $13,500!  Finally, in late February of 1988, the winery decided the 1983 was still not ready and released the 1984 instead.  The great critical reviews, the very high release price, the historical legacy of the wine, the famous consulting winemaker, the connection to France's greatest wine estate, Chateau Petrus, and the delayed release of the first vintage with the succeeding vintage eventually being released first all combined to make Dominus the talk of the wine world in 1987 and 1988.  The origins of Dominus can be traced back to the 1880's, when the present vineyard, known as Napanook, was called the La Rue Vineyard and was known for top quality winegrapes.  In 1946 the La Rue Vineyard was purchased by John Daniel Jr., the grandnephew of Captain Gustave Niebaum, the founder of Inglenook Vineyards.  Daniel had taken over the management of Inglenook in 1933 and had been responsible for one of the great periods in Inglenook's history - the winery was especially noted for its great Cabernets during the Daniel era. Daniel renamed the La Rue Vineyard, Napanook; and the best of Napanook's grapes became a major factor in the legendary Inglenook Cask Cabernets of the fifties and sixties.  When John Daniel sold Inglenook in 1964, he retained the rights to Napanook.  He died in 1970, and management of Napanook was put in trust by a bank for the next decade. 

 

Taking a cue from the Baron de Rothschild, Christian Moueix, the owner of Bordeaux's most highly regarded (and most expensive) wine estate, Chateau Petrus in Pomerol, went to the Napa Valley in hopes of finding some great vineyard land and putting together his own joint Franco American winemaking operation.  Through Robert Mondavi, he was introduced to Robin Lail and Marcia Smith, the daughters of John Daniel.  A deal was struck to produce a wine from Napanook under Moueix's direction, and the John Daniel Society was formed to manage the estate.  The plans call eventually for a winery.  On site management of the property is done by Daniel Baron and Christopher Phelps, the winemaker.  Christian Moueix visits about five times a year to give direction and offer technical assistance.  The label, an artist rendering of Moueix, was done by one of the masters of American contemporary art, Larry Rivers.  The Napanook vineyard is planted south of the Yountville Mound, where there is a unique subclimate ideal for the slow ripening of the Bordeaux varieties.  Sixty-seven of the vineyard's 124 acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot with vines ranging in age from seven to thirty years.  Selection of the best fruit from the oldest vines is saved for Dominus; the rest is sold under contract to another winery.  The 1983 and 1984 Dominus were both composed of about 75 % Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance being Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  No new barrels (they came from Petrus, Trotanoy, and Cheval Blanc) were used for the first vintage, but the 1984 saw 20% new oak.  These first wines met with mixed reviews after their release to the broad market.  Today, Moueix will admit that it took him several years to come to grips with the differences between the terroir in France and his new venture in Napa.  Robert Parker has raved about these wines since the very first vintage and has never rated one of Christian’s wines below (90) points. 

 

Today, Dominus is owned 100% by the Moueix family and the winery was completed in July of 1998.  The façade of the winery is unique and built for its functionality rather than aesthetic values.  The exterior is dark green basalt, held in place by galvanized wire baskets, this resembles a huge rock cage that completely covers the concrete winery.  This design will let air flow freely as well as providing dazzling visuals at night.  The rocks are not held together by mortar but rather stacked in cages, you can see the artificial light radiating out like a thousand stars in the night sky.

 

"Christian Moueix, Dominus’ owner, has purchased the 35-acre Swanson Vineyard, which is situated between the well-known California bistros, Brix and Mustard’s. I suspect that will result in a third label from Dominus. At present, the production from these large holdings in Yountville is approximately 10,000-12,000 cases, with the second wine, Napanook, representing 3,500-4,000 cases, depending on the vintage. It is ironic that Christian Moueix, the great Merlot specialist at his flagship chateaux in Pomerol, especially Petrus, prefers the other Bordeaux varietals at his Napa property. Interestingly, when I visit Dominus, they always open a fresh bottle and serve it alongside a bottle that has been decanted for 24 hours. On each occasion, the more complex, open wine is the one that has had 24 hours of aeration, something buyers of this wine should take into consideration. These are the two strongest back to back vintages for Dominus since 1990-1991 and 2001-2002."  Wine Advocate # 180, Dec 2008