Dominus, Christian Moueix - Dominus Estate 2003

The 2003 Dominus has turned out even better than I thought from barrel. There are 4,800 cases of this 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot blend. A big, sweet nose of roasted coffee, Provencal herbs, black currants, cherry jam, plums, allspice, and forest floor is followed by a spicy, rich, full-bodied, fragrant, intense wine. The tannins are sweet, but noticeable in this beautifully complex, strikingly aromatic 2003. It has much more similarity to a great Bordeaux than anything from Napa Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

The most European-styled of all the Napa Valley Bordeaux blends, Dominus is owned by Petrus winemaker Christian Moueix, who works from one of region’s most historic vineyards, the renowned Napanook site from which many of the famed Inglenook wines of the fifties and sixties were produced. Interestingly, I tasted both decanted and recently opened bottles of each of these wines, and the additional aeration unquestionably revealed more nuances and character. I wouldn’t be surprised if 5-10 hours of decanting resulted in significant improvement for these young wines.

P.S. When I asked Christian Moueix to briefly summarize the last three Dominus vintages, he called 2001 “classic and elegant,” 2002 “exuberant and rich in more of a California style,” and 2003 “extremely aromatic and supple.”

Dominus is a large vineyard, and they have the ability to make a strict selection. The 2003 Dominus (a 4,800-case blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot) is a firm, tannic wine offering aromas and flavors of dried herbs, smoke, saddle leather, coffee, sweet kirsch, and black currants. While the estate feels it is softer and more elegant than the 2002, it is, nevertheless, muscular and powerful with plenty going on. It should be at its best between 2010-2025+.

One of the interesting things at Dominus is that when I do my tastings they open and decant the same wines the day before, and the wines with extended aeration always reveal more complexity and sweeter tannin than the just opened bottles, a characteristic purchasers should take into consideration. Decanting several hours in advance is recommended. Kudos to the brilliant Christian Moueix for these achievements ... the most distinctive and individualist Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines of Napa Valley.