Dominus Estate : Napa Valley 2015

A Complex Red Blend from Napa Valley in the Style of Bordeaux

The story of the Dominus Estate is the story of a Bordeaux-born wine merchant and producer by the name of Christian Moueix who fell in love with the Napa Valley terroir during his studies at the University of California Davis. After a decade of managing his family vineyards, including Chateaux Petrus, La Fleur Petrus, Trotanoy and Madelaine, he returned to California in 1981 and discovered the 124-acre Napanook Vineyard. After a partnership with the estate, he became its sole owner in 1995. Currently, the Napanook Vineyard in Napa Valley expands over 103 acres planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the style of Bordeaux's Left Bank. The soil is gravelly and clay loam, easy draining and perfect for the cultivation of concentrated, ripe berries. The vineyard is managed according to principles of sustainable agriculture, with dry farming at the core of the estate's philosophy.

The 2015 vintage at Dominus was characterized by a wet winter, followed by a dry spring. In May, temperatures cooled suddenly, reducing the size and number of the berries. The rest of the season was quite warm, allowing the fruit to ripen by the harvest, which took place between September 2nd and 16th. The Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2015 is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The clusters are sorted by hand and the berries go through an optical sorting system at the winery. The team carries out gentle pump overs and the skins are pressed at low temperature for a delicate release of aromas, color and tannins. The wine is aged in 100% French oak (out of which 40% is new) and fined with egg whites before bottling.

The Dominus Estate Napa Valley 2015 presents an incredibly vibrant nose, full of fresh wild blueberries, blackcurrant and blackberries, along with herbaceous touches of wild thyme, aniseed and lavender. On the palate, this Napa Valley red blend is full-bodied, energetic and vivacious with finely polished tannins and a lively backbone framing the fruit. The finish offers wonderful length and depth.