Dominus Estate - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

In the late 1960s, while attending the University of California at Davis, Christian Moueix fell in love with the Napa Valley and its wines. son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, the famed wine merchant and producer FROM Libourne, France, Moueix returned home in 1970 to manage the family vineyards, including chateaux Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy in Pomerol and Magdelaine in Saint Emilion.

His love of Napa Valley lingered and, in 1981, he discovered the historic Napanook vineyard, a 124-acre site west of Yountville that had been the source of fruit for some of the finest Napa Valley wines of the 1940s and 1950s. In 1982, Moueix entered into a partnership to develop the vineyard and, in 1995, became its sole owner. He chose the name ‘Dominus’ or’ Lord of the Estate’ in Latin to underscore his longstanding commitment to stewardship of the land.

Known for its complexity and balance, Dominus demonstrates the potential of a wine produced on exceptional terroir. Structured, seamless and perfectly integrated, Dominus is an elegant wine that improves with age.

"With a good decant, the compact, quiet bouquet of this 2020 Dominus begins to show off, exhibiting perfumed aromatics of dark-toned berry fruit, blood orange, and cocoa nibs. It boasts impressive staying power with a real depth of concentration of fruit. Long strands of velvety tannins are interwoven around pure and symphonic black-toned fruit, while bright and present acidity provides the kind of lift that makes the wine seem almost featherweight. A beautiful red florality envelops the finish. Winemaker Tod Mostero said that hours before the Glass Fire on 27 September, they had just brought in the last of their grapes. It's a good thing, too, because it's a splendid wine and deserves to share the spotlight with the best wines of the vintage. Aged 16-18 months in 40% new French oak." - 99 points, Decanter

"Aromas of blackcurrants, black cherries, hints of graphite, wet earth, and lavender. Sandalwood. Full-bodied with an impressive and refined structure that runs deep and vertical in the wine. Chewy. Hints of chocolate and hazelnut at the end." - 98 points, James Suckling

Producer: Dominus Estate

Country: USA

Region: California

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Appellation: Napa Valley

Vintage: 2020

Size: 750ml